Ours is the Fury
by Ariella.Blake
Summary: "The Baratheons fight for each other." As the few remaining members of House Baratheon struggle to stay alive in the war for the Iron Throne, Cassana Baratheon becomes a vital player and quickly learns that the crown and her family aren't the only things worth fighting for. Robb/OC/Aegon. {AU} HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.  
 **Summary:** Every woman envied her, and all men wanted her, but she only ever had eyes for one. Robb/OC

 **The Promise**

"Get your hands off me," Cassana seethed as she ripped herself from the northern knight's grasp. "I am a princess."

The young man rolled his eyes and gave her shoulder a tiny shove, forcing her to step forward. She pushed her curly hair over her shoulder and straightened her back while the same knight laid her elegantly crafted bow and arrows down on the table in front of the man who had come to be known as the King of the North. Cassana sighed quietly as Robb Stark leaned forward to look at her weapon. He glanced at the men who were with him in the large tent before looking at the Baratheon princess.

"Princesses do not tend to carry weapons like this," the northern king gestured, "or lead assassination missions."

"You would already be dead if this was an assassination mission," the archer smirked. "My cousin sent me here for a different reason."

"Lord Stannis, you mean?" The man sitting beside Robb quipped.

"King Stannis," Cassana glared, "as he is the only rightful heir to the Iron Throne."

"We do not fight his claim to the throne. It is only his claim to the North that we contest," Robb said, his eyes still locked onto the girl's.

He had heard of Cassana Baratheon before; the orphaned cousin of the king who had been shuffled between her royal family members since her youth. He had only been fed rumors of her beauty and her fiery temper, but now she was standing before him, living up to the expectations he had set in his mind. She was undoubtedly beautiful with an oval face, light olive skin, almond-shaped brown eyes and long dark brown hair which were worn in an array of braids. She was dressed in a light blue dress that seemed to thin for the region, but she showed no sign of feeling the cold. He would not admit it aloud at that moment, but he was sure that Cassana Baratheon was the one of the most elegantly beautiful girls he had ever seen.

"The person who sits on the Iron Throne is meant to rule the North as much as he is meant to rule the Stormlands or the Westerlands," the Baratheon argued, her anger bubbling up to the surface.

Robb could not hold back the small smile that crept onto his lips. The girl standing before him could not be older than 17 yet she had the temper of a grown man. She seemed to personify her house's words. "I do not believe that we will reach an agreement on that matter so I suggest we move on or we will be arguing about this until the sun comes up. If you did not come here to kill me or my men then why did you come?"

"To broker a deal," Cassana responded as she stepped towards the table. The knight who led her inside moved to grab her again, but Robb stopped him by holding up his hand shortly. The younger girl smirked at the knight before turning back to the King of the North. She began to walk around the table, her movements deliberate and calculated. Every man's gaze followed her until she reached their king. Cassana gave Robb a surveying glance before she sat on the edge of the table beside him. She saw the men sitting beside him lay their hands on their swords out of the corner of her eye, but she knew they would not act unless their king gave the word, and she trusted that he could see that she did not mean to harm him.

"We have already chosen not to ally with Lord Stannis," one of the lords reminded the princess. "And nothing you say will change King Robb's mind."

"Well, I certainly hope that is not the truth," Cassana said. She pursed her lips together in a thin line when Robb looked at her.

He cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat slightly. "And why is that?"

"Because if we do not reach an agreement before the end of tomorrow then you will be murdered by Stannis' red priestess Melisandre," Cassana answered curtly.

"Is that a threat?" One of the lords huffed.

"No," she looked at the man, "that is a promise. My cousin had already decided to give the order to have you killed, but I convinced him to delay the final preparations."

"Why?" Robb raised an eyebrow.

"Because I met your sister at King's Landing. I saw her faint when your father lost his head for telling the truth," Cassana explained quietly. She watched Robb's expression closely as he shifted in his seat again, the anger altering his handsome features slightly. "I know what it is like to lose your family and I do not wish for her to experience the same fate."

"My sister—is she—" Robb started, his expression softening. "Is she okay?"

"Everyone thinks she has traitor's blood and she is constantly surrounded by people who would pay to see her dead," she paused, "but she has proven that she is stronger than she looks. She is definitely wolf-blooded."

Robb watched the girl for a moment, debating on whether or not he should believe her. "What is the offer?"

"My cousin will give you full control over this region and name you the Prince of the North, but you must swear that if anyone ever rises up against him, you will fight for his side and recognize Stannis as your rightful king," Cassana explains. "You must also agree to give up any claim you think you have to the Iron Throne."

"That is an absurd deal to make," Lord Umber declared as he stood from his seat and placed his fists on the table with a thump. "Robb is the rightful King of the North and we will fight for the right to call him that."

Robb turned from his trusted lord to the Baratheon princess, searching for her reaction. From what he could see, the girl was not angry or annoyed. She was amused. Her eyes lingered on Lord Umber for a moment before returning to Robb. "I am not here to force you into making a deal you will not honor. I am here in an attempt to save your life."

"Why should I trust that Stannis will honor his side of this deal?" Robb questioned.

"You have my word he will," Cassana replied without hesitation, her eyes full of confidence. "Besides, if I knew he was not going to act honorable there would have been no use for this peaceful visit."

"Are you aware that we outnumber you and your small group greatly? We could eliminate you in a matter of minutes," one of Robb's lords said confidently. Cassana scoffed quietly as she stood up. She flashed another beautiful smile before walking towards the front of the tent

"I will give you the night to think about the offer," Cassana responded, ignoring the last question. Robb barely gave her permission to pick up her weapon that was still lying on the table. "I hope you know that I was not lying earlier. Death is coming for all of you if we cannot reach an agreement," she said as she pulled her sheath of arrows over her shoulder and lowered her bow to her side. "Good night, My Lord."

The King of the North watched as the girl, who was third in line for the Iron Throne, walked out of the tent like she had just won the debate. He swallowed hard as he leaned back in his seat. His loyal lords quickly erupted into tiny arguments amongst themselves about what had just occurred. Robb could hear the objections to the fact that Stannis had just sent a girl to broker the deal and that she had brought a weapon with her. A few thought that they should take Cassana's _promises_ as a declaration of war.

 _We are already at war_ , Robb thought to himself.

"We should take her prisoner and force Stannis to give us the North," one of his men suggested triumphantly. The idea had already crossed Robb's mind, but he discarded it quickly. He believed that Stannis would never give in to those types of threats. Kidnapping his cousin would only persuade him to try to destroy the Northern army only that much sooner. Robb did not even want to begin to think about the idea that Stannis' red priestess could kill him before the next day was done, but he was forced to after hearing the Baratheon princess' warning.

"Leave me," Robb ordered suddenly as he stood from his seat. The lords looked to him for a moment before they all bowed and shuffled outside into the cold night.

A part of him wanted to seek counsel from his mother, but he was still angered by her actions of setting Jaime Lannister free. Lady Stark wanted blood, and in her growing need for vengeance she was beginning to see enemies everywhere. Robb was sure she would want him to take the Baratheon girl captive, but in his heart knew it would be the wrong decision. He dropped back into his seat with a sigh. He wanted to do what was best for his people, but if there was one thing he had learned, it was that the Baratheons never accepted defeat.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed the first chapter! It inspired me to get this up in a week! Thank you and sorry for any mistakes!**

 **A Loyal Stag**

"Hold still, please," Cassana huffed. She glanced up at her personal guards, Ser Willem and Ser Waldron Caron. "Hold him down. This is going to be painful."

The older twin knights shared a quick look before dropping to the muddy ground. Willem carefully positioned his knee across the man's chest while his brother pinned his broken hand down. Cassana handed a filled wineskin to Willem. "Force it down his throat if you must. It will blur the pain somewhat."

Willem followed her instructions and poured the wine into the younger man's mouth a little at a time until he felt it was enough to impair him. He gave his princess a solemn nod and she went to work. Willem and Waldron kept the man immobile while Cassana focused on finding the best way to set the bones in his hand. The young man still had enough strength to writhe under the knight's firm hold, but the Baratheon princess ignored his pleas for a relief. She knew she was not near as skilled as she had hoped to be. Cassana had grown up being taught by several different maesters on the skill of being a healer of the injured and the sick. That was before she had received her bow and arrow from Jon Arryn though. Once the weapon was placed in her hands, she knew that was her true calling. The archery came more naturally to her than her medicinal studies, but what she had learned from the maesters stuck with her and as she was cutting into the man's hand she thanked the gods it had.

It was a long, nerve-racking job. Some parts, such as the splinting of the two fingers with simple fractures went quite easily. Others did not. Setting the stranger's middle finger required exerting considerable force in order to draw the ends of splintered bone back through the skin. Cassana thanked the gods again that the man had lost consciousness towards the end. Without his outbursts from the pain she began to lose awareness of anything outside the job she was doing. As she finished with closing the wounds, she feared infection particularly, but otherwise was fairly sure the fingers would heal. The shattered joint would likely leave him with a stiff ring finger and the others might function normally in time.

"What are you doing?"

Cassana looked up to see Robb stark standing over her and her men. She could not read his expression, but if she had to guess, he almost looked impressed. The Baratheon turned her attention back to the broken hand. "Your men are idiots."

"I was once told that an army can only be judged by how wise their commander is," Robb responded, amused.

"Then you are as much of an idiot as they are," Cassana responded without missing a beat. The men standing beside Robb stepped forward accusingly, but before they could speak or act their king started to laugh quietly.

"And what did this idiot do exactly?" Robb gestured to the man who was still unconscious.

"He lost a wager and now I have to finish setting about nine bones in his hand," the Baratheon princess explained and returned her attention to the injured man. She was thankful for the short silence that ensued, allowing her to tie off the thread that she had used to seal the middle finger.

"You are a guest at my camp. This is not your job," Robb said. He had sent for Cassana earlier that morning, but she was nowhere to be found. He ordered several of his men to find the Baratheon girl and after an hour of searching one of his squires reported back to him that she had been spotted near the edge of his camp, tending to a wounded soldier. Robb had not expected to find the princess kneeling in the mud covered in blood up to her wrists.

"It did not look like anyone was preparing to help him and if he had let the bones heal as they were he would have been crippled for life," Cassana paused as she reached for the splinter she had fashioned out of a thin piece of wood. She began to wrap thick strips of leather around the fingers then tied it to the board to restrict movement.

"Then I suppose I owe you my gratitude, Princess," Robb told her. She looked up momentarily as she tried to wipe the blood off her fingers. He watched while Cassana finished wrapping the splint with a long strip of cloth. When she finished she waved at her personal knights and they released the northern man. The splint was rather large and bothersome, but it would due its job and assist in allowing the bones to heal properly.

"Take him inside, please," Cassana ordered. Her men nodded shortly and lifted the man off the floor easily.

They hesitated to leave their princess alone, though. Willem pursed his lips into a taught line as his gaze flickered between Cassana and Robb. "Maybe it would be best for you to join us."

"No need to worry, Ser—" Robb paused.

"Willem Caron and this is my brother Ser Waldron Caron of Nightsong," Willem responded, his movements muffled by the weight of the northerner.

"There is no need for you and your brother to worry, Ser Willem," Robb continued. "I have instructed my men to not harm the princess."

"Go on," Cassana instructed a second later. She picked her bow and arrows out of the mud and pulled the sheath over her shoulder. "I can protect myself just fine for a few minutes." The fair-haired knights bowed as well as they could and disappeared into the tent behind them.

"You are shaking," Robb said suddenly as she turned away from the tent. The princess looked down at her hands to find that the King of the North spoke truth. She clenched her fingers into fists, but the trembling did not stop.

"It has been over a year since I have dealt with something like that," she returned, her voice as light as a feather. She unclenched her wavering fists and swallowed hard.

Robb stared at the younger girl. While she was stitching his mans' wounds her hands were as still as a river's current on a clear day, but now that she was done it seemed she finally let the nerves take over. He moved towards her on impulse and took her hands, which were still tainted with a crimson blankets, in his. He smiled faintly when he felt the tremors cease.

"If you truly meant what you said before, about owing me your gratitude, then you would repay it by uniting our houses in an alliance," Cassana said as her eyes examined his face. For a while she had only ever heard that Robb Stark was a boy playing at war. Then he began to actually win battles and she started hearing of the young wolf's adept ability in battle, but no one had told her of his seemingly fair nature. War had melted away any softness his face may have had in his youth and left him hard and lean. He was unshaven and his curly auburn hair framed his square face and blue eyes, giving him a rugged appearance, but Cassana had yet to see the harshness he was said to be capable of.

"That is why I came to find you, Princess," Robb explained, his gaze lingering on their hands before lifting to her face. "I have spoken with my sworn lords and we have made a decision. You may wait for your men's return and then I would like for you to join me back in my strategy tent."

"It would be my honor," Cassana nodded politely and pulled her hands away from Robb's.

He hesitated for a moment, but stepped back and bowed faintly before leading the men who flanked him away. Cassana watched him until he disappeared behind a cluster of tents.

* * *

Robb called for a council with the lords of the North first thing that morning where he told them what he had decided. Most of his men argued at first, voicing their expected objections. He waited to talk until the arguments had calmed down. Robb explained that he didn't think there was a right or wrong choice to make for no one could tell him where his decision would lead. He had to make a judgment call by looking at what had already happened during the war. He told his men that eventually someone would have to sit on the Iron Throne, and no matter whom that person may be they would not give up the North easily. Robb admitted he did not know whether it would escalate to another war or not, but there would be some kind of conflict unless they allied themselves with the person from whom the North would benefit the most by sitting on the throne. His men knew that as the King of the North, Robb had always wanted to spare as many lives as he could. The War of the Five Kings had already taken a great deal of Northern casualties, but it had practically just begun. They agreed that with Stannis' aide, they had a better chance of coming out of this war on the winning side. Despite knowing that, the high lords still did not want Robb to give up control of the North.

"Is the maiden coming or not?" Lord Umber grumbled as the northern men continued to wait for Cassana's arrival.

"She is," Robb responded.

As if on cue, the front of the tent opened and Cassana Baratheon entered flanked by two knights who had been with her earlier. Her expression was hardened as she made her way to Robb. He leaned back in his seat when she reached his side of the table and accepted the letter she offered him. He ran his fingers over the broken seal, recognizing the crowned stag of House Baratheon enclosed with the fiery heart of the Lord of Light. Robb glanced up at Cassana before opening the letter. He read the message inside quickly and took a deep breath when he finished.

"What does it say?" One of his men asked.

"It says that Stannis is attacking King's Landing in a few days, and that this is our last chance to enter an alliance with him," Robb said. "It also says that if we choose not to ally with him by the time he wins the throne, he will uproot his enemies from the South then he will come for us."

"And what if he does not win the throne?" Lord Umber grumbled.

"Stannis may lose this battle, but he will never stop fighting for that crown," Cassana assured them as she walked back to the end of the table. "And I can tell you for certain that when this war ends he will either be sitting on the Iron Throne or he would have died trying."

"And that's supposed to make us feel better about entering an alliance with him?" Roose Bolton turned to the young Baratheon.

"It is supposed to tell you that he will do everything in his power to make sure the right person ends up on the Iron Throne whether it is him or his daughter," Cassana retorted as she seated herself in the only open seat at the table.

"Or you," Robb met her eyes. He watched her closely for her reaction.

"I do not wish to be queen," Cassana told them with the utmost confidence.

"And why not?" Roose questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"In order for me to ascend to the throne both Stannis and Princess Shireen would have to die, and they are the only family I have left," Cassana paused as she swallowed hard. "I would gladly give my own life if it would ensure their safety."

"You are a loyal stag," Lord Umber huffed and leaned back in his seat.

Cassana smiled faintly. "Who would deserve my loyalty if not my family? My family is the only thing I have left to live for."

"Every person cares about the legacy they leave behind," Roose argued.

"I could not care less about what people say about me after I am dead in the ground," the Baratheon princess contested. The tent fell silent for a few moments.

"So, we know what will happen if Stannis loses the battle for King's Landing, but what will he do for us if he wins?" Lord Kastark asked, breaking the calm pause.

"As I said yesterday, Stannis will name Robb Stark the Prince of the North. He will allow you to rule here almost as freely as you wish if you choose a representative from the North to sit on the small council and inform him on anything of importance and if you accept an adviser from his house to sit on your councils. He will also help you uproot the ironborn from your lands and squash any other rebellions that might occur in the future given you do the same for him. He would make sure that sister will have a safe passage to you. Lastly, he would stop his red priestess from murdering you."

"We would still have to bend the knee to him?" Lord Umber questioned.

"Swearing fealty to a Baratheon would be better than having your throats slit by a Lannister," Cassana retorted quickly. Robb held up his hand when his men began to argue with the princess again.

He leaned forward in his seat as she met his gaze. "Do you believe that Stannis will sit on the Iron Throne at the end of this war?"

"With all my heart," Cassana nodded.

"And you believe he will honor the agreement made today?" Robb continued.

"He will," she responded. "I give you my word."

"How do we know that we can trust her word?" Lord Kastark asked no one in particular.

"You don't," Cassana said as she looked to the older man. "Sometimes you just have to have faith."

"Faith doesn't win wars," Roose Bolton scoffed.

"No, but deception does," she said. "The Lannisters would never expect our houses to enter into an alliance. The last time the stag joined forces with the wolf they ended a three hundred year old dynasty. Just think about what we can do a second time around."

Robb took a deep breath and scanned the tent. He knew that the majority of his men would be split on the decision, but he had to be the one to forge the alliance. He stood from his seat and marched to the end of the table. Cassana pushed her chair back as she got up. He came to stand less than a foot in front of her. Robb held her gaze for a few seconds and stuck out his hand. Cassana's dark eyes flickered between his face and his hand before she raised her own hand to meet his. Robb could hear his men reacting in different ways, but he reminded himself that this was what his father had wanted from the beginning. The young wolf knew he was doing what was right, but he did not know that by making this choice if he would be leading his men to victory or if he would be leading them to their deaths.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Until Next Time**

Cassana continued down the narrow dirt path towards the river. Her two chamber dogs, Balerion and Meraxes, were racing on ahead of her while Ser Willem and Ser Waldron walked beside her. She clutched the letters that Stannis had sent her tightly in her hand. During the meeting with Robb she had given him only one of the two letters her cousin had sent her.

"We should head for Dragonstone, My Lady," Waldron advised quietly.

"No. We need to go to King's Landing with our men and help Stannis take the throne," Willem said.

Cassana glanced at the letter again. "Stannis told me to wait and keep hidden until after the battle so that's what I'm going to do—as far as he knows."

"And what is it that you plan to do, Princess?" Willem questioned.

"We will ride for King's Landing as soon as possible, but not to help my cousin in the battle. No matter the outcome he will have many casualties so we need to keep our small force safely here with us," the maiden princess told the twin knights.

They exchanged a glance over the princess' head. "If we are not going as reinforcements, then what will we be doing?"

"There is something that I left behind when you two came to get me," Cassana dropped her gaze back to the letter before continuing, "and I need to get it back before it is lost forever."

The twins stayed silent for a moment before Waldron turned to Cassana. "If this is what you want, Princess, then we will accompany you to the capitol and make sure you get in and out safely."

"Thank you," Cassana said as she smiled lightly. "We will leave as soon as we get back to camp. The battle will most likely begin tomorrow and offer us the right amount of cover to get into the Red Keep unnoticed."

"If you do not mind, I will head back now and ready our things," Waldron said.

"Of course," the princess approved.

Waldron bowed and turned on his heels to head back towards the horses they had left at the start of the path. Cassana folded the letter and handed it to Willem to replace in the crevice of his armor. She felt a small wave of fear wash over her as she continued to think about the events that were going to play out over the next few days. Stannis would attack King's Landing and he would either come out of it sitting on the Iron Throne or he would end up dead. Cassana wanted to believe that there was a chance for her cousin's survival, but it was slim. Despite the concern she had for Stannis she knew the battle was her only chance of getting into King's Landing. Amidst the chaos no one would notice a girl walking along in the shadows.

"Princess Cassana," Willem warned as he touched her elbow. She faced him and he nodded behind her.

She followed his gaze and stiffened when she saw Robb Stark walking towards her, accompanied by a few of his bannermen. Cassana smiled politely as the Prince of the North met her eyes. She had wanted to depart from his camp without having to try to explain her absence. She thought it would be easier to explain once she had returned with her package.

"Princess," Robb greeted as he walked up to her.

"Prince," She responded. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I searched for you around camp after the council, but a few of my men informed me that they saw you riding towards the river," Robb explained. His gaze flickered over to Willem momentarily and Cassana could see he was slightly nervous.

She smiled understandingly as she let out a quiet breath. "I enjoy the sound of the current. It's comforting whenever I have a lot to think about. Please, walk with me."

Willem fell back in line with Robb's bannermen as the Prince took his place beside Cassana. She pursed her lips together lightly as she tried to think of a way to keep their conversation short. The ride to King's Landing would not be too long, but she needed to reach the capitol before the battle began.

"What did you wish to speak to me about?" Cassana questioned him as politely as she could manage.

Robb glanced at her for a moment before clearing his throat. "I remember you said that I would have to take a southron adviser into my council as part of my alliance with King Stannis. A few of my sworn lords were curious as to whether or not you would have any idea of who it could be?"

"I have an idea, but I fear that your bannermen are not going to approve of the choice," the princess smiled to herself. When Robb looked at her she met his eyes and offered a curt shrug of her shoulders.

"You, My Lady?" Robb asked with an amused expression.

"My cousin knows that we have similar minds," Cassana explained. "I might have loved Renly and Robert more than Stannis, but I have always understood our king the best."

"Is that why he made you his heir?"

"I am not his heir, Young Wolf," Cassana paused as she pushed some hair over her shoulder. "That blessing and burden falls upon his daughter and only living child, Shireen Baratheon."

"Are those yours?" Robb gestured as the princess' chamber dogs ran past them along the river.

"Yes. The black one is Balerion and the grey is Meraxes," Cassana said, her gaze following her large dogs.

"Strong names," Robb insisted with a smile.

"They were a gift from Stannis and I let Shireen name them. The girl loved to read all types of stories, but she absolutely adored those about the Targaryen dragons. I tried to tell her that the animals were merely dogs, but she would not hear it. She told me in a completely confident tone that they would grow as big as dragons so they could protect us from anyone who tried to harm our family just as the dragons had for the Targaryens," Cassana explained quietly.

"How long have you had them?"

"It has been quite a few years now," Cassana responded as her dogs began to chase one another. "Shireen was right in her own way, I suppose. They grew faster and stronger than any dog I had ever seen. Of course, they are not as nearly as large as your direwolf, but their bite is just as bad as their bark."

"I'm sure you feel safe going to sleep with them at your bedside," Robb told her.

"And with Ser Willem and Ser Waldron outside my tent," the princess added with a short nod.

"I have noticed that your men adore you," Robb paused, "not just the members of your personal guard."

"They are loyal to my family as your men are to yours," Cassana said. "In most cases, loyalty always follows adoration."

"Do you ever worry about not living up to their expectations?" Robb asked quietly, as if he was afraid his men would hear.

"All the time, but I think Stannis is under more pressure than I at the moment," Cassana admitted. Robb nodded understandingly as they turned to walk beside the river.

"If you don't mind me asking, if Stannis is to sit on the Iron Throne and Renly is dead, who will be the Lords of Storm's End and Dragonstone?"

"Stannis has already appointed me to the seat of Storm's End and I believe Shireen will be given Dragonstone, at least until she inherits the throne," Cassana said. She stopped in her tracks when Balerion walked up to her with a few crumpled white flowers in his mouth. Robb knelt before the princess' dog and held out his hand.

"Release," the princess commanded and Balerion obeyed. Robb scratched the top of the dog's head before standing up.

"I believe he got these for you," Robb told her quietly as he held out his hand to show her the crumpled flowers. Most were damaged beyond repair and only one still had all of its petals. "But I fear only one survived."

"He meant well," Cassana smiled. She ran a hand over Balerion's head when he sat beside her and nuzzled her hip.

"I think all we need is the one." Robb's gaze flickered between Balerion and Cassana before dropping all the flowers except the undamaged one. He held it between his fingers and gestured towards the princess. "May I?"

Cassana nodded and took a deep breath as Robb stepped towards her. He smoothed back a lock of her hair and slid the flower behind her ear, his hands lingering on her neck for a moment. Cassana met his eyes with a warm smile and he dropped his hand.

"A flower fit for a princess," Robb complimented and stepped back.

Cassana had the courtesy to turn away from him as she blushed. They continued alongside the river for a few minutes in silence before Cassana slid a glance in Robb's direction. "Speaking of princesses, what is the name of yours?"

"Pray pardon, Princess?" Robb questioned.

"I heard you are betrothed to a Lady from the South," Cassana clarified as she dropped her gaze to the dirt floor.

Robb took a deep breath. "I do not know her first name. She's a Frey, I suppose."

"Is she beautiful?"

"I have never met her, but Lord Frey told my mother that I could pick any one of his daughters," Robb explained.

"Well, I'm sure you are going to be very happy with her—whoever she is," Cassana said, trying to sound optimistic. When Robb looked at her they both laughed quietly.

"And you're marrying her for a bridge," Cassana teased.

"An important bridge," Robb laughed.

"Ah."

"It was before they killed my father. I still thought I could march south and rescue him in time, but only if I crossed that bridge," Robb said, his gaze downcast.

"I met your father while I was visiting King's Landing. He was always kind to me," Cassana revealed.

"He was the best man I had ever met," Robb told her. When they reached a small ridge by the river he stepped down first and offered his hand to the princess. She took it lightly and he helped her down easily. Cassana's hand rested in his as she looked at him as though he was the most important person in the world. "I know children always think that about their fathers, but he truly—"

"Children do not always think that about their fathers, believe me," Cassana cut him off. She released his hand and they continued on their way.

"Do you remember your father?" Robb asked. He had heard stories about the princess' parents and their kidnapping, but he had always wondered about the daughter they left behind. _Did she ever think about them? Did she miss the parents she never knew?_ But these questions would have to remain in his head.

"I remember what people told me about my father," Cassana responded with a short glance. "I was three days old when my parents disappeared from King's Landing."

"I thought they were taken by force," Robb said. The princess scoffed just loud enough for him to hear.

"It was the morning of Robert's formal coronation when the servants came to fetch my parents from their bedchamber, but only came to find me sleeping in the crib beside their bed. All of their belongings were gone except a note addressed to King Robert," Cassana explained. "My family kept the true details of my parent's disappearance as hidden as possible, but those who did find out began to speculate that the King's uncle and aunt followed the Targaryen children across the Narrow Sea."

"I thought your father fought alongside Robert during the rebellion," Robb said, looking at the princess.

"My father almost died fighting for Robert," Cassana confirmed. "I want to believe that the whispers about my parents being Targaryen loyalists are just rumors, but in all honesty I have no idea of who my parents were or what they were capable of. They're nothing but strangers to me."

"I'm sorry, My Lady," Robb murmured.

"Why?"

"My parents are two of the greatest people I have ever met and I can't imagine what troubles would have burdened me if I never got the chance to meet them," Robb paused and took a deep breath, "so, I'm sorry that you never got the chance to meet yours."

"Thank you for your kind words," Cassana whispered. She stopped walking as a loud splash came from the river beside them. A smile tweaked at the corners of her lips when she saw Balerion and Meraxes running through the shallow waters covering the bank. They were chasing a group of butterflies, trying to catch them in their mouth. "They haven't had this much open space since the years I spent in Storm's End."

"You seem to have traveled quite a lot for someone your age," Robb said as he watched the dogs play in the water.

"Stannis did not name me his ward until after my twelfth nameday," Cassana told him. "In my youth I was passed around between family members and royal houses. I stayed at Storm's End, Highgarden, Casterly Rock, Dragonstone, The Vale, and even spent a year and a half in King's Landing before Cersei decided it was time for me to move on."

"The queen didn't like you?" Robb asked. He gave her a sidelong glance as they both smiled lightly.

"The queen didn't like a lot of people, but I was indeed one of them," Cassana admitted. "I never really knew why until after the truth of her children's parentage came to light. I think she was scared having a true Baratheon so close to her pretenders; as if having me there would make Robert realize the truth for himself."

"But he never did," Robb said quietly. Cassana looked at the prince. They both knew that things would have ended very differently if Robert had found out the truth about Cersei and her children.

"Pray pardon, Your Grace," Willem interrupted as he stepped towards the duo, "but if we are to reach our destination before nightfall we must leave now."

Cassana looked at the golden-haired knight and nodded before turning back to Robb. "I have to take my leave, but I enjoyed our talk, My Lord, and I hope to do it again soon."

"As do I," Robb smiled shortly as Cassana turned to take her leave, "but may I ask where you are going?"

Cassana slid a glance in Willem's direction and sighed when he gave a small shake of his head. "I'm afraid I cannot reveal my final destination, but fear not, Young Wolf. I am only taking two knights with me while the rest of my guard will remain here in your camp to ensure my return."

Robb's expression faltered for a second. "Then I will await your return patiently."

"I will be back within a few days," Cassana told him with a smile.

Robb took a deep, steadying breath and stepped toward her. He touched the princess' arm as he placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Until next time," Robb whispered as he returned to his original place.

"Until next time," Cassana agreed quietly.

"Your Grace," Willem murmured as he moved towards the princess. He gestured over his shoulder when she looked at him and she saw Ser Waldron waiting on the path behind them with the horses. Cassana gave Robb a fleeting glance and went to mount her stallion.

Once she was in the saddle her two loyal knights rode up beside her. She glanced back at Robb, certain she saw a hint of longing in the prince's eyes, before she turned her courser in a circle and rode off in the opposite direction. Cassana knew the journey she was about to set out on was going to be dangerous, but she tried to convince herself that she would return with the package safely and that Robb would be forever grateful that she had gone.

 _May the Gods take mercy on us all_ , she prayed silently as she rode towards the Kingsroad.

 **Sorry it took so long to get this out. And i apologize for any mistakes. Please review or favorite or follow or all of the above. And please let me know what you think of where this is going or where you'd like to see this go. Thank you for reading!**

 ***Please check out my other GOT stories if you're bored***


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Blood as a Baratheon**

Cassana often wondered what would have happened if her parents had never left King's Landing the day of Robert's coronation. She had been lucky to be brought up by people who cared about her and her well being, but she had always wanted to know how things would have changed if she was raised by her parents. She had been told many stories about her father, the burly and courageous Orion Baratheon who had fought and almost died for his nephew. She was told once that her father had gotten severely injured during the Battle at the Trident and had received a deep scar that ran from his eyebrow to his lip. Cassana had also heard the tales of her beautiful yet stubborn mother Raelinn Dondarrion. The few who were old enough to have true memories of her parents always said that the pairing had been designed by the gods themselves; _it was a true form of love_ , they told the orphaned Baratheon.

While she had heard enough about her missing family members to form a proper opinion of them, she knew that they were still just strangers to her. Despite all of her conflicting emotions about her mother and father she thought about them regularly and during the hard ride to King's Landing Cassana's thoughts wandered to her parents several times. _Where are they? Do they think of me as much as I do of them? Do they ever regret their decisions? If they were able to come home, would they? Did they ever truly love me?_ These questions were constantly relaying in her head as she tried to focus on her goal: getting to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms safely.

They reached their destination after the battle had already begun. When Cassana saw the burning ships in the bay she knew that it was her cousin's fleet that was now reduced to nothing but floating pyres. She forced herself to ignore the fear that was escalating in her mind. She knew nothing of Stannis' war plans. He could have been on one of the burning ships in the bay or he could already be fighting his way through the Lannister army and no one would be able to tell her otherwise until the battle was over. So, instead of dwelling on the possibility that her king was dead she decided to focus on the task that she rode all day to accomplish.

Waldron was the one to lead them to the correct tunnel that wound beneath the city. They were lucky he had stolen the map, which illustrated the elaborate tunnel network, before he left King's Landing with Renly. Once they had their torches lit and in-hand, the trio started through the damp underground passageway. While Willem and Waldron had their matching longswords and double daggers that had been gifts from their parents when they had decided to chase knighthood and Cassana had her bow and arrow they would still be outmatched if the City Watch or some of the Lannister guards cornered them in the tunnels. The knights were quite certain that the City Watch was too distracted to guard the tunnels, but they still had Cassana walk between the two of them. She grew up under their protection and had begun to think of them as family and the princess did not doubt that the men who swore to protect her would die to fulfill their vows, but she would do anything to make sure they never did.

Cassana was not sure how long it took to reach the hatch that led them right into the Red Keep. All she knew was that the battle was still in full swing and that they had yet to lose the cover of nightfall. The three of them had talked about where they should start looking for the package they came to retrieve, but none of them really knew where to begin. Cassana looked around the empty passageway before pulling up her cloak up over her head. Now that they had made it inside, it was imperative that they kept unnoticed by any guards.

"Where do we go?" Waldron whispered. Cassana glanced around once more before pointing to her left.

"We should start with her room," the princess started. "It is a long shot, but it is close by and easy to reach from this part of the castle."

"I think I remember the way," Willem said, taking the lead. They all kept their heads down as they moved though the hallways towards the bedchamber that Cassana recalled belonging to the person they were looking for. Willem made it most of the way without assistance, but Cassana had to point him in the right direction only twice.

"There it is," Cassana murmured as she gestured towards the door at the end of the hall. She fell in step behind Willem as he approached the room.

"Are you sure this is it?" Waldron questioned.

"I'm certain," Cassana nodded.

Willem shared a look with his twin brother before trying to open the door. Cassana had thought the door would be locked, but the older knight swung open the door with little effort. The princess did not wait for her men to make sure the room was safe. She moved past them and walked straight into the room.

"Sansa," Cassana breathed when she saw the tall auburn-haired girl sitting at the desk against the opposite wall.

Sansa stood up, her jaw slightly agape. "Cassana."

"Come on," the princess stepped towards the Stark girl. "We have to go now."

"I can't," Sansa moved away from her old friend.

Cassana took a deep breath when she saw the hesitation and caution in the younger girl's eyes. "Do you still trust me?"

"I—I don't know," Sansa stammered.

Cassana sighed silently. "Well, I still trust you Sansa. I trusted you when you told me that your brother Robb was an honorable person. I trusted you when you told me that your father was innocent. And I trusted you when you promised that you never lose hope."

"I trust you, but Stannis—" Sansa began.

"Might not make it all the way to the Iron Throne, Sansa," Cassana told her. "But I'm here and I am willing to do what it takes to take you to your brother and your mother."

"You know where they are?"

Cassana smiled lightly. "Our houses have been united in an alliance, Sansa."

"Are you marrying Robb?" Sansa questioned with a small glimpse of hope in her eyes.

The princess shook her head as she laughed under her breath. "He is promised to a Frey, but our alliance strong. It would be even stronger if I returned you to your family."

"You told me that I cannot trust anyone here," Sansa reminded her.

Cassana took a deep, steadying breath as she turned to Willem. "Give me your dagger, Ser."

"Pray pardon, Princess?" The knight raised an eyebrow.

"Your dagger, please," Cassana repeated and Willem gave it to her hesitantly.

Cassana turned back to Sansa and held up the weapon. The younger girl fell back a few steps while a worried look distorted her features. "What are you doing?"

The princess smiled lightly and grabbed the blade of the dagger with her opposite hand. She tightened her grasp and slid the weapon out from inside her knuckle, wincing as it cut open her palm. She lowered the dagger, but held up her bleeding hand to show Sansa. "I swear on my blood as a Baratheon that I will do whatever it takes to get you back to your brother and mother safely. Now, you have to decide whether or not you believe me."

Sansa swallowed hard. "I trust you."

Cassana nodded and instructed her to pack anything she owned that was of importance to her. When she turned to Willem to return his dagger he tucked it into his belt quickly before tearing off a piece of his cloak and wrapping her wounded hand. He looked at her as he cleaned off the excess blood.

"That was unnecessary, princess," he mumbled.

"She needed to know that I meant what I said," Cassana responded with a short shrug.

"I think that girl always trusted you. She was just scared," Waldron said as he inspected Cassana's hand. He gave his brother a look before removing the bandage. He reapplied it so it covered the entire cut. "And we will all be a lot safer once we are out of this forsaken city."

"I agree. We do not know how much longer the battle will last," Willem concurred.

"Sansa, are you ready to leave?" Cassana asked as she looked over her shoulder at the Stark girl.

"I believe so," Sansa nodded. Cassana smiled sadly at the small bag Sansa was carrying, realizing that she had never felt at home enough to grown attached to anything.

Cassana grabbed Sansa's hand when she saw a slight glimpse of apprehension in her eyes. "Don't worry. Soon enough we'll be at your brother's camp."

"You don't know how much this means to me," Sansa stuttered as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Yes, I do because it's meant the same to me. I promised you and I promised your father that I would try to look out for you the best I could and I failed you when I left the city the last time. Now, I'm just trying to rectify what I did—if that's even possible."

"It is," Sansa assured her friend. Cassana smiled as she turned to her knights and gestured for them to check the hallway. Once they were sure it was clear, the four of them started back towards the tunnels.

* * *

Robb sighed as he stood from his seat and began to pace in his large tent. Cassana Baratheon had left the day prior and had yet to return. He knew barely anything of her plans, except that she was supposed to return sometime that day. He had wanted to question her more about her journey, but he didn't want it to appear as if he didn't trust his ally. And while he did trust her, he did not trust the people she might have ran into on her expedition. The Prince of the North had spent most of the night trying to convince himself that the Princess of Storm's End would return safely to his camp. Just as he was about to leave his tent to get some fresh air, the Frey boy he had acquired as his squire entered.

"Cassana Baratheon has returned, my lord," his squire announced.

Robb let out a sigh of relief. "Make sure she gets everything she needs."

"Of course, my lord," the young boy nodded, but hesitated to leave to make the accommodations.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Robb questioned.

"Nothing, my lord. It's just—I think you should know that she has returned with over two thousand armed men and they believe more is on the way. She—um—she also requested to see you immediately," the squire explained.

"Have someone escort her here at once, please," Robb instructed and his squire finally left the tent.

The prince took a deep breath as he awaited Cassana's arrival. He could not assume why she wanted to see him, but he knew why he wanted to see her. Since the day he met the Baratheon princess he had known that she was unlike any of the noble girls he had come across before. Robb realized rather quickly that his admiration for the girl did not stem from her beauty alone. Cassana had shown that she was only trying to do what was best for the realm and for her family and that was a trait that Robb respected. He could think of quite a few other things he admired about the southern girl, but he forced himself to forget about them for a time. _I'm promised to another_ , the prince thought woefully. Robb knew he should be feeling guilty for thinking about Cassana the way he had when he was going to be marrying the Frey girl, but in truth no guilt weighed on him.

"Robb."

Robb looked up from his filled goblet to see Cassana standing by the entrance of the tent. He stood quickly and stepped towards her, but before he could get close enough to do what he had desired the tent opened again and his sister entered.

"Sansa?" Robb hesitated. When his younger sister had left Winterfell she was just a girl still daydreaming about marrying the prince. Now, he could see that she had grown into a lovely young Lady, but her eyes were filled with pain.

"Robb, it's me," Sansa said as tears began to form in her Tully eyes. Robb threw away the courtesies he had been taught and walked up to his sister, pulling her into his arms as she released a muffled cry. "I never thought I'd see you again."

He smoothed back her hair as memories of their childhood came flooding back. Sansa was always the delicate flower his mother raised her to be, but he assumed that there would always be someone there to protect her whether it would be him, their father or her future husband. One of his biggest fears he had developed after his father's death was for Sansa and Arya. They had been left alone in the lion's den without anyone to protect them.

"You're okay," he assured her. "You're safe."

"I'll be back at my tent if you need me," Cassana told them quietly.

Robb pulled back from Sansa slightly and met the Baratheon's gaze. "Thank you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"I'm sure I can think of a few ways," Cassana smiled as her eyes flickered to Sansa. "Do you want me to send for your mother?"

"Please," Sansa nodded tiredly. Cassana gave a slight bow of her head before turning to leave the tent. Robb shook his head lightly as he led his sister to the table. He was amazed that Cassana would risk so much rescuing his sister.

* * *

The princess sent a few of Robb's men to fetch his mother and began walking back towards the area that her men had started to set up camp. They had been riding a little while when they were joined by thousands of Stannis' men that had survived the Battle of Blackwater. Ser Donnel Swann was the one to tell them that the most of Stannis' men who had fled the doomed battle would either return to Dragonstone or follow Cassana to Robb's camp. While the men could tell her that the battle was lost, no one could tell her if Stannis was dead or not.

"Princess!" Someone shouted in the distance causing Cassana to stop in her tracks. She did not have to look long to spot the five men riding towards her on the back of four large stallions. They dismounted hurriedly and came to stand a foot in front of her. She was mildly surprised when each of the men lowered themselves to their knee and bowed their heads.

"Your Grace," they greeted her.

"Rise," Cassana commanded hesitantly.

"We must speak to you in private, my lady," one of the younger men said as his gaze scanned their surroundings.

"I'm afraid it's quite an urgent matter," another man added quickly.

"What matter?" Cassana questioned worriedly.

"King Stannis instructed us to give something to you and I believe it would be for the best if you read it in private," the eldest of the knights explained. Cassana took a deep breath when she looked at him. His silver armor was decorated with blood and dirt and his arm was clearly wounded. She just knew he had been in the middle of the battle, fighting for his life and her cousin's.

Cassana looked around at the camp. There were some northerners up and moving around, but for the most part the camp was still asleep. "Give it to me now."

"Princess, I don't think—" one of the men started.

"That was not a question, ser. It was command," Cassana retorted quickly. "Now, give it to me."

The older knight exchanged a knight with one of the other men before pulling out a small scroll from the crevice of his armor. He held it out to the princess with the seal facing her. Cassana recognized Stannis' coat of arms.

"When did he write this?" She asked no one in particular as she stared at the crowned stag enclosed within the fiery heart of the Lord of Light.

"Right before battle, princess," someone told her.

"Is he alive?" Cassana continued.

"The last we saw him he was still fighting the enemy. We were trying to get him to leave, but he still thought there was a chance of victory. He had given me the letter before the battle and then during the fight he turned to us and told us to take it to you. We didn't want to leave him there, but we couldn't disobey him," the eldest knight said.

"So, he could still be alive?" Cassana asked.

"He could," one of the knights responded quietly.

"You should read the letter, princess."

Cassana took a deep breath as she broke the seal on the scroll. She unrolled it slowly and read the words on the parchment. When she finished she looked up at the knights who stood before her. "Is Shireen still on Dragonstone?"

"With her mother and a small garrison," the youngest knight nodded.

"I need to send a message immediately," Cassana decided aloud.

"Stannis already told them of his plans. He thought they'd be safe on Dragonstone," the older knight revealed.

"Shireen will never be safe. Not as long as she's the heir to the Iron Throne," Cassana murmured.

"Cassana," Ser Willem greeted as he and his brother appeared from behind Stannis' knights. "We thought you were coming straight back to your tent."

She held out the letter for the twins to read it. "Stannis sent these men to give me that."

"What does it say?" Waldron asked as his brother opened the scroll and began reading it.

"In case of Stannis' death at the Battle of Blackwater he's named Cassana Queen Regent and Protector of the Realm until Shireen comes of age," Willem responded after a moment.

"That means you have command of Stannis' army," Waldron thought aloud.

"It also means that he might be dead," Cassana replied as she looked at her trusted knights. Willem stepped towards her, but she moved away from him and held up a hand weakly. "I just need some time to think. I'll meet you back at my tent in a little while and then we can decide where to go from here."

"Are you going to tell Robb Stark about what happened?" Waldron questioned before Cassana could leave.

"I have to," Cassana nodded. "He's our best ally."

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Willem questioned quietly. Cassana held his gaze, knowing he's noticed the way the two royals look at each other.

"Yes, I am," Cassana confirmed and left her knights behind.

Willem was right. She knew she was required to tell Robb about her cousin and his decision because of their alliance, but she wanted to tell him because she trusted him. Somehow Robb Stark had begun to set roots deep inside her that would not be easily removed.

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

The sound of swords clashing filled the air as the young grey-haired man continued to spar with his Tyroshi instructor. He moved gracefully as he avoided swings from the opposition and made a few successful blows. He had been training with the longsword since his youth so he had acquired enough skill to call himself an experienced swordsman. They fought for a while longer before the younger man disarmed the instructor.

"Nicely done," the woman watching the two men said once the duel was done. She stood from her seat and flattened the front of her light green dress. "I think you can call yourself a professional."

"Thank you, mother, but I know that I will always have something to approve upon," Griff smiled at her as he handed his sword to his instructor.

"Well, you have finished your lessons so what should we do to kill the time before your father gets home?" Lilith asked as she approached her adopted son who had grown taller than her by his sixteenth nameday. Now that he was nearing his eighteenth nameday he turned into a handsome young man with exceptional strength, just like his adopted father.

"We could have a firing contest," Griff smiled knowingly. His mother had always extremely gifted with the bow and arrow that she's had her entire life. She started to teach Griff how to shoot after his six nameday.

"That we could," his mother smiled. She ran a hand over his dyed hair before going to retrieve her weapon.

"Not so fast you two," a man's voice carried through the yard.

Lilith turned to see her husband waiting in the doorway of the house, as handsome as ever. The scar on that ran down the left side of his face, his large beard, and bulky build always gave him a intimidating demeanor, but after so many years together she would never doubt that he had a kind heart. Even though they changed their names after they left Westeros all those years ago they were the same people who fell in love in the heart of the Stormlands. She walked towards him and took his hand as he wound his other arm around her waist. "What took you so long?"

"Here," Griffith whispered as he slipped a scroll into his wife's hand.

"Illyrio?" Lilith responded in a hushed tone. Her husband nodded before walking past her to their son.

"You've finished your lessons?" Griffith asked.

"Yes," Griff responded.

"Good," his father said as he nodded. "There's something I need to tell you—something we need to tell you."

Lilith came up beside her husband after she had read the letter's content. "It's time, my son."

"We're going home," Griffith confirmed when Griff looked up at his father.

"Why? Why now?" the young man questioned. He had known that this day would come, but he never dreamed it would be so soon.

"Our friend Illyrio has required a large company of sellswords called the Golden Company and the situation Westeros has taken a turn in our favor. This is the time to strike," Lilith explained.

"What situation in Westeros?" Their son asked.

"The War of the Five Kings," Lilith clarified.

"What do you mean?"

"There's been a major change in the war—an addition," his mother said.

"Who?" Griff raised an eyebrow.

"Your sister," Griffith told him quietly. "She's been named as a possible contender for the Iron Throne."

"You mean my adopted sister who neither of you have ever actually met?" Griff scoffed.

"You may be Prince Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar to the rest of the world, but we raised you. To us, we are your parents and you our son which means that Cassana is your sister," Griffith assured his son.

"But not by blood," Griff reminded his parents.

"Family does not end with blood relations," Lilith said as she smiled and stepped closer to Griff. She placed a hand on his chest plate. "You need to remember that no matter what, okay?"

"Yes, mother," Griff nodded. He didn't want to voice all of his concerns to his parents, but they were still relaying in his mind. His mother and father believed that their daughter would forgive them for abandoning her to adopt and protect one of the last surviving Targaryens, but he was certain that it was just false hope. Somehow, Griff knew that Cassana Baratheon could never truly forgive her parents, but he wasn't sure what that meant for him. He wanted to be the one to sit on the Iron Throne at the end of all the wars that were to come.

 _Would my_ sister _be willing to fight for me? Or would she be added to my list of enemies?_ Griff asked himself as he looked at his parents.

 **Please let me know what you think! Reviews are such inspiration and favorites and follows are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **A/N:** I'm amazed by the awesome feedback this story has had so far. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! And big thanks to justsmile17 who helped me out. Make sure to check out her awesome Robb/OC story called A Dragon in Disguise.

 **Long Live the Stag**

"How is your hand, Your Grace?"

The Baratheon slowed to a stop and looked over her shoulder. The armored knights she had been walking with formed a line behind her as Robb approached. Cassana was dressed in a simple deep green dress with and had placed her long, dark brown hair in an array of braids. Robb always tried to ignore her elegant loveliness whenever he saw her, but he simply could not. The two leaders smiled as the distance between them disappeared.

"Practically healed," she replied and held up her hand. The wound on her palm had been replaced with a light pink scar.

"You did not show at the council this morning," Robb noted as his gaze flickered to the southern knights behind the Baratheon. They were older and each wore a different coat of arms, representing different houses from the stormlands.

"I'm sorry, but there was a personal matter that I needed to deal with," Cassana explained.

"Is there anything I can to do help?" Robb probed considerately.

"No," the Baratheon shook her head. "Some of my men suggested that I declare Stannis as dead and take control of our forces, but I cannot do that—not without proof."

"I'm sorry," Robb sighed.

"Thank you," Cassana said, forcing a light smile. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Is there something you needed to speak to me about?"

"Uh, yes," Robb said. "There's been some concern about how you are going to proceed with your claim to the throne."

"What do you mean?" Cassana narrowed her eyes.

"It's been weeks since Stannis named you his heir as queen regent. You asked me to give you time and I have, but we've just learned that word of your new claim has reached King's Landing. I mean no offense, Your Grace, but we have start moving again soon," Robb explained empathetically.

"I need to know if Stannis is dead and it is only then that I will do whatever it takes to secure the throne—not for me, but for Shireen," Cassana responded firmly. "As is her birthright."

"I understand," Robb said.

"Pardons, Prince," the man paused as he looked at Cassana, "Your Grace."

"What happened?" Robb questioned after seeing that the man's hands were stained with blood.

"There's been an accident with one of the hunting parties," the northerner said, breathing heavily.

Robb's gaze flickered to Cassana. "How bad is it?"

"One dead and another two are badly injured."

"Take me to them," Cassana instructed before turning to her advisors. "Pray pardon, My Lords, but I am needed elsewhere. We can continue this conversation later."

"Yes, Your Grace," the men murmured in response. Each of them bowed quickly and took their leave.

"Show us the way," Robb commanded once Cassana turned back to him.

The prince and future queen regent walked side by side through the camp, following the man who had fetched them. Cassana knew that she might not be of much help, but she was determined to do the best she could with the tools she had.

"There," the northerner said as they approached a small group of people and horses. Cassana noticed two large, bloodied boars lying dead off to the side.

"Move aside," Robb said and his men obeyed without hesitation. Cassana gasped quietly when they broke through the crowd. There were two men lying in the middle of the circle of northerners, each of them covered in sweat and blood.

The Baratheon took a deep, steadying breath before moving closer to the injured men. Once she had gotten close enough she saw that one of the men had been injured on his stomach and leg while the other was hurt just above his knee. She could not see how badly they had been cut because of the overflowing amount of blood covering the wounds. Cassana prayed quietly as she dropped to her knees beside the man who was injured the worst.

"Help me, please," he begged as his eyes fluttered open. "It hurts."

"I will do the best I can to help you," Cassana met his gaze shortly. She asked no one in particular for a few clean rags and she received them in a matter of moments. She used one to clear away the excess amount of blood on the man's leg so she could get a clear view of the deep gash across his thigh that was still bleeding profusely. Cassana grabbed another one of the rags and tied it tightly around his leg above the wound, ignoring the man's plea for her to stop. She knew it was the only way to slow the bleeding.

"What is your name?" Robb asked as he kneeled on the other side of the man.

"Finn Maggerty, serving for House Errol," the man murmured weakly.

"You're from the stormlands?" Cassana asked when she recognized the house name.

"Born and raised, My Lady," he nodded.

"I haven't been back to Storm's End in years," Cassana sighed. She moved over slightly so she could inspect the wound on his stomach and lifted his shirt. She had to fight the urge to vomit when she saw that the boar's tusk had actually ripped open his stomach, revealing his organs. Cassana met Robb's gaze and shook her head, knowing there was no way to save the southerner.

Finn took a few shaky breaths before speaking again. "I miss my home."

"I would love to hear about it," Cassana told him with a kind smile.

"I grew up on a small tract of land outside of Haystack Hall. There was a hill near my home and when you would walk to the top you could see the entire valley for miles around. I would just sit at there for hours on end with the sun on my face, watching the trees move with the wind. Those were some of the best days of my life."

Cassana gave Robb a sorrowful glance as she slid through the dirt so she was kneeling by his leg. She bit her lip and untied the tourniquet. The gash on his leg began to bleed profusely once the cloth was removed. Cassana knew that it would not be long before the man lost consciousness. She returned to her spot by Finn's side. She smiled down at him as she took his hand in hers.

"It sounds absolutely wonderful," Cassana murmured. She looked up at Robb, who was looking right at her.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Finn asked as he looked at the Baratheon.

She nodded solemnly and dropped her gaze back to him. "Yes."

"My parents and sisters died a few years ago in a fire. Do you think I will see them again?" The southerner questioned and his gaze drifted to the grey skies above.

"I think you'll see whoever you want to see," Cassana told him as she gave his hand a small squeeze. Finn smiled weakly at the thought.

"Thank you," he said.

"You have no reason to thank me."

"The pain's gone," Finn clarified as he looked at her again. "I'm not afraid anymore."

"You should rest," Cassana murmured. "I think tomorrow you'll be sitting on the hilltop and playing in the river behind your house."

Finn breathed out as his eyes shut for the last time. Cassana blinked away the tears as his hand fell limply out of hers. She wiped her face once again and placed Finn's arms across his chest. She stood up slowly and turned to the next injured man, not allowing her thoughts to linger on the man she failed to save.

Cassana cleared away the puddles of blood and torn cloth on the second man's leg and took a deep breath when she saw that the boar had ripped all the way to the bone and had taken most of the muscles and skin with it. Cassana pursed her lips together at the sight of the darkened skin and thin black veins that were moving outward from the wound. The bleeding would be a problem, but not as much as it was on the other man. She tied a cloth around his thigh as she disregarded the man's cries.

Robb was by her side suddenly. "How bad is it?"

Cassana sighed and shook her head. "I can't save his leg. It appears to be infected which means that if we don't take it, the infection will spread and eventually kill him."

"What do you need?"

"Something for the pain and something sharp enough to cut bone," Cassana responded. She knew there would be no milk of the poppy to help the man through the amputation, but there were other ways to soothe his pain.

"Here," someone said as a wineskin was handed to her. She gave it to Robb to give to the man.

"Wait!" the injured man cried as he sat up on his elbow. "My leg's fine! It doesn't hurt at all!"

"Your blood is infected" Cassana told him. "It will take some time, but eventually it will spread to your entire body and kill you."

"I don't want to be a cripple," the man said as he stared at her. Cassana could see the tears in his eyes.

"Do you have a family or a wife or children?" Cassana questioned.

"A wife and an infant son named Zekarius."

"Your wife needs you and your son is going to need you," she told him. "That means being crippled is better than being dead."

"How can I be a father and a husband when I can barely even walk?"

"My birth parents abandoned me when I was only a few days old so I never knew them and I have never considered them as my family. The people who taught me, clothed me, sheltered me, comforted me when I got hurt, and made smile when I didn't think I could—those people were my family. You do not need two legs to do be that person for your wife and son," Cassana explained.

"Fine," the man agreed as he let out a soft groan. "Just get it over with."

Robb cleared his throat and Cassana looked to see him holding a double handed saw. She had never amputated a limb before, but she had watched the procedure several times. She remembered the screaming was always the worst part.

"Here," Cassana mumbled as she handed Robb a clean rag, "for his mouth."

"Bite on it," Robb told the man as he pressed it between his teeth. "It's better than biting on your own tongue."

"Hold him down, please. He's not going to want to watch it," the Baratheon said and Robb enlisted a few of his men to help him keep the man on his back. Cassana pressed her lips together as her hands tightened around the saw.

"Can you do this?" Robb questioned with a sympathetic look. Cassana steeled herself and nodded. She had always claimed to be brave and if she was going to be entering this war the least she could do is was save a man's life by taking his leg.

Cassana began to saw through the man's flesh and soon reached the bone. She tried to focus on the motions that it took to get the job done, muting the man's screams and distancing herself from the amputation. She continued working silently until the leg was gone. Cassana dropped the saw the second she was finished and staggered to her feet. The princess took a few deep breaths before turning to leave. The circle of men parted and she hurried away from the crowd as quickly as she could manage.

She got as far as a small clearing between the rows of tents before dropping to her knees. She barely had time to lean over the grass before she vomited. Cassana wiped her mouth and curled over, hugging her arms tightly. The shaking that started in her hands had spread over her entire body. Staring at her bloodstained hands she felt like she wanted to cry, but no tears came. The Baratheon had grown up around people who taught her to never show her weaknesses to those who could very easily use them to destroy her. She would save her tears for when she was alone. Cassana squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to take deep breaths in order to fight back the panic growing inside of her. She knew she must look already like a bloodied mess and she would not let the men see her crying. She jumped when someone touched her shoulder.

"Cassana."

She recognized Robb's voice immediately. Cassana clenched her jaw when she looked up at the prince. He offered a hand and she took it, allowing him to pull her out of the mud. They held each other's gaze before Robb pulled her into his arms and held her there. He didn't care that she was a bloody mess. Robb had witnessed her courage when she amputated the man's leg and he had seen the warmth in her heart as she calmed them when they faced death. At that moment, Cassana Baratheon had never been more beautiful.

* * *

After Robb escorted her back to her tent she requested hot water for a bath and stripped out of her bloodied clothes. She sighed as she lowered herself into the steaming water. Cassana grabbed a washcloth, lathered it up with soap, and scrubbed herself until her light olive skin turned pink and the dirt and blood that stained her was gone. Once she was clean and fresh she picked herself out of the water and dried herself off. She put on her purple, long-sleeved dress and went to her writing table where a small mirror was sitting atop. Cassana looked at herself as she brushed her damp hair back over her shoulders. Her pink lips tugged into a frown when she saw the circles under her eyes. The young Baratheon knew she was tiring of this war and it was beginning to show.

 _What am I doing?_ She asked herself. _I was raised to be a lady, not a queen. I was taught to organize dinner parties and tourneys, not war plans._

Cassana fixed her hair into one braid that stretched down her back and stood from the table before calling for Waldron and Willem. The two knights entered a moment later, their hands resting on the hilt of their longswords.

"Do you need us to fetch your council?" Waldron asked.

"Yes, and please tell them to bring the maps," Cassana paused, "we have to begin planning our next move."

"What about Robb Stark?" Willem questioned skeptically.

"The northerners are growing restless. I need to have some type of plan ready before I meet with them next," Cassana explained as she ran a hand through her hair. "I need to be able to tell them what Iwant to do next even though I haven't the slightest clue."

"Well, that's easy," Willem said with a smile. "You want to claim the Iron Throne for your family and the best way to do that is to make more allies and defeat the Lannisters."

"That is not as easy as it sounds," Cassana retorted with a discouraging glance.

"No, it's not," Waldron agreed "But it can be—if you make the right decisions."

"What are you going on about?" Cassana looked at the older knight with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"You are young, beautiful, and, as it stands now, the head of House Baratheon," Willem told her, finishing his brothers thought. "If you wed the right person, the throne will be yours."

Cassana took a deep breath when she felt an ache in her chest. She knew the day she would have to marry was fast approaching, but she was no anticipating it as hopefully as she did when she was a child. "And who do you have in mind?"

"Weeks ago I would have suggested one of the Willas or Garlan Tyrell but now that they have chosen to ally with the lions it would be no use," Waldron answered.

"The only families that are not completely involved in this war are the Martells of Dorne and the Arryns of the Vale," Willem pointed out. "The last time the falcon flew beside the wolf and the stag, they took the throne from the dragons."

"Robin Arryn is only a boy of ten-and-two," Cassana scoffed. "He's too young for me to marry and the Martells have promised their heir to Myrcella Lannister."

Willem gave his brother a sidelong glance before facing Cassana. "The point is that you could have almost any boy or man in the world so all you have to do is chose the one that would benefit your family the most."

"Not any man," Cassana murmured as she met Willem's blue eyes. She knew she did not have to hide the truth from these two men. "Not Robb."

"Cassana," Waldron said. His gaze was full of compassion.

"The last few weeks I have told him things that I have not told even my closest friends—not even you two. I hate myself for it, but I think I'm falling in love with him and it hurts knowing that I will never truly be able to be with him," Cassana admitted to the men she thought of as family.

Waldron pressed his lips into a considerate smile as he moved closer to the Baratheon girl. "A long time ago Willem and I made a vow to protect you—to keep you away from any harm or pain you might have had to face without us. When we saw you falling for Robb Stark, both of us wanted to protect you from the pain it would bring you, but we knew it would never be possible. Sometimes, you have experience this kind of pain so it can show you how strong you are."

Cassana took a deep breath and nodded. She wiped away any tears that had formed in her eyes and stood up straighter. "I will hold council with the high lords and they will help decide who would best benefit our cause. I will marry said person and we will kill every Lannister along with every one of their allies and at the end of it all, Shireen will sit on the Iron Throne and the Baratheons will rule once more."

"Long live the stag," Willem said, smiling.

"Long live the stag," Waldron repeated with a wink.

"Cassana."

The Baratheon raised an eyebrow when she realized it was not Willem or Waldron who uttered her name. She sidestepped the knights to lay eyes on the man standing just inside her tent. Tears came to her eyes the second she recognized the older knight.

"Davos."

"Your Grace," the Onion Knight stooped to one knee as Cassana moved closer to him.

"Stand," She whimpered and clenched her jaw. Once the older man was standing erect again Cassana wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. It had been weeks since she had seen the man who had been one of Stannis' closest advisers and friends. "Thank the gods you're alive."

"There is something I need to tell you," Davos said against her hair as his arms wrapped around her.

"Have you any news of Stannis?" She asked, pulling back from him.

"That is what I need to tell you, Your Grace," Davos murmured as his eyes expression fell. There was no need for him to say more. She knew.

"No," Cassana breathed and she stepped away from him, her arms dropping to her sides. "No. It can't be. He can't be dead."

"My apologies, Your Grace," the Onion Knight paused, "but his body was brought back to Dragonstone before Lannisters could get their hands on it. Only the gods know what they would have done to him."

"Are you sure it is him? Is there any reason to doubt it?" She asked as she fought sob building up inside her throat.

"No, Your Grace. King Stannis is dead, may he rest in peace," Davos uttered faintly. Cassana placed a hand over her mouth as a sob rocked her body. Her tears began to blur her vision as she dropped to her knees, but she could see the letter that Davos held out to her. "Stannis made sure this would get to you."

"What does it say?" She looked up at the knight without touching the scroll.

"You are going to want to read it, Your Grace," Davos nodded with a weak smile. Cassana pressed her lips together and took the letter out of his hand. She did not bother checking the seal and opened it with shaking fingers.

"Did you know about this?" Cassana asked after reading the letter. She wiped her tears and stood, holding her chin up as she addressed the eldest knight.

"He had spoken to me about it on a few occasions, yes," Davos confirmed.

"What does it say?" Willem questioned after a few moments of silence passed.

"It says that my family disowned my birth father many years ago," Cassana murmured.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"The traditional inheritance right has always placed men above women. Robert and his brothers wanted to assure that their claims could not be refuted by Orion Baratheon so they disowned him as a Baratheon. Stannis has now, rightfully, named Cassana as his heir after Shireen without any fear of another coming along to take it from her," Davos explained with a nod in Cassana's direction.

"Are you alright, Cassana?" Waldron asked as the girl pushed herself to her feet and tightened her fist around the letter, smashing it between her fingers.

"All this time—all this time and they never told me that they thought my mother and father were somewhere drawing breath," Cassana said as her sorrow quickly turned to anger.

"They wanted to protect you from the lies," Davos told her.

"Why bother?! Hadn't they known that I had heard all the whispers—all the speculations surrounding my parent's disappearance?" Cassana looked at the Onion Knight. "I heard it all growing up, but I never knew if I should believe it because I thought that if my family knew the truth they would tell me. I had gone nearly eighteen years thinking that they were either dead or traitors."

"No one knows the truth, Cassana," Davos said. "Orion and Raelinn could be dead or alive, but if they are alive and assisting the Targaryen restoration your family did not want to make it easier for them to claim the Seven Kingdoms."

Cassana nodded, knowing that he was speaking the truth. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she looked at Davos. "I am glad you are alive, ser. I will be in need of your counsel as Stannis once was."

"Of course, Your Grace," the knight said with a small smile. Cassana had known the man most of her life and she believed that he only wanted what was best for her family. She knew that he could be trusted.

"Now, if you would excuse me, I need to get some fresh air and clear my mind for a while," Cassana explained as politely as possible.

"What about the council?" Willem asked.

"We will hold it in the morning," Cassana decided with a short nod. "Please give the lords my apologies."

"Yes, Your Grace," the twin knights echoed. Cassana smiled shortly at the three men before walking towards the tent entrance.

"Do you wish for us to accompany you?" Waldron asked after her.

"No," Cassana responded. "I will be fine."

The Baratheon ducked out of the tent before any of the knights could offer an objection. She rolled her head back once she was felt the cool night air on her face. She took a few deep breaths before starting towards the center of the large encampment. Cassana nodded and smiled whenever she was greeted by the northerners and southerners who were still awake, but she did not stop walking until she reached Robb's tent.

He was standing over a small table with a map laid out on top. There were a handful of small wooden wolves and even fewer stags and trouts, but they were situated side by side facing the group of lions and roses. Cassana sighed silently when she thought their opposition. She had asked herself how they were supposed to win about a hundred times since she learned that House Tyrell had chosen to ally with House Lannister.

Robb turned to her quickly when she stepped closer, causing the floor to creak. The corners of his mouth moved upward into a small smile as he met her gaze. Cassana returned his smile and walked over to the table. She pressed her lips together as she picked up one of the wolf statuettes. Her fingers traced the grooves of the wood, sliding them up over its head. She inhaled quietly when Robb's hand landed on top of hers.

"Are you okay?" Robb asked and she felt his gaze land on her.

She pulled away from his touch to place the wolf back on the table and looked up at the Prince of the North. She pursed her lips as she shook her head weakly. "No."

Robb stepped closer to the Baratheon. "What is the matter?"

"Stannis is dead," Cassana murmured and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Robb sighed quietly. "Who told you?"

"Ser Davos Seaworth," Cassana answered. "He was a close friend of Stannis."

Robb swallowed hesitantly as he reached down and grabbed one of Cassana's hands. He offered a reassuring squeeze and her deep brown eyes turned up to him. "I am truly sorry for your loss."

"Stannis might have been a serious and severe man, but I loved him anyways," Cassana told Robb, her voice wavering slightly. "And now I am the only family Shireen has left."

"She has her mother, does she not?" Robb asked.

Cassana scoffed. "Selyse Florent is a cold-hearted woman that has never showed any love towards her daughter."

"Are they still at Dragonstone?"

"I believe so, but not for much longer," Cassana said. "I'm sending her across the Narrow Sea, where she'll be safer."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Robb looked at her.

"Honestly, no, but I do know that she cannot remain here where she is in constant danger. I owe her that much."

"Will she truly be safe there?"

Cassana's expression softened as the doubt entered her mind. "For a royal, there is no such thing as safety, but if I were to give her a large protection detail to keep her hidden in the Free Cities until this war is over, then she will have a better chance at surviving."

Robb moved closer to her and placed his fingers under her chin, making her meet his eyes. He wiped the single tear that fell onto her cheek. He had never seen her cry. "You are so good at taking care of other people. Just once I would like to see you take care of yourself."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Cassana tilted her face against Robb's hand that lingered on her cheek.

"Marry me," Robb said calmly.

Cassana pulled away from his touch, her eyes widening in shock. "What?"

"Marry me, and I promise that I will make sure your family—our family is safe always and forever," Robb said, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"Robb, I can't. _You_ can't," Cassana insisted fervently.

"We can do anything we want, Cassana," Robb paused, "because I'm falling in love with you and I think you feel the same about me."

"That's not a good enough reason," Cassana said with more confidence than she felt. "You are promised to a Frey and if you go back on your word, there is no telling what Walder Frey could do."

"I don't want to marry the Frey girl," Robb assured her as he cupped both sides of her face.

"I don't want you to marry her," Cassana agreed quietly. Robb let out a quiet sigh of relief as he let her words sink in. "But we need the Freys if we're going to beat the Lannisters."

"Fuck the Lannisters and fuck the Freys," Robb sighed.

"You are a strange creature, wolf," Cassana responded as she smiled lightly, "so different from any man I have ever met."

"I know what I want and I'm willing to fight for it," he told her. Cassana's hand brushed the side of his face. The way her touch lingered on his skin comforted him in the way he needed. War had brought along so many uncertainties, but the affection he had for the Baratheon was the truest thing he had felt for months.

That was when he kissed her tenderly. Once he realized that she was not going to pull away, his kiss deepened. Cassana's lips moved against his expertly, telling him that this was not the first time she had kissed a man. He only hoped that he would be the last person to kiss her.

"Stop," Cassana said as she pressed against his chest, breaking their kiss.

"Cassana—" Robb started.

"Walder Frey is a dangerous man to cross and marrying you would put not only my family in danger, but yours as well," Cassana paused and dropped her hands to her sides as she stepped away from the Prince of the North. "And I can't bring myself to do that, no matter how much I care for you."

"We will fight them if it comes to that," Robb told her as he tried to move closer to her again.

Cassana stepped back and shook her head. "No. You have to marry the Frey girl and solidify that alliance and I have to marry someone who can give me what it takes to win the Iron Throne."

Robb looked at her as the silence dragged on. He knew she was scared, but he meant what he said about keeping her and their families safe and it was up to him to prove it to her. Cassana leaned in close to him once more and place a tender kiss on his unshaven cheek. "Goodnight, Robb."

"Goodnight, Cassana," Robb returned. The younger girl turned and left his tent without another word and Robb felt the warmth leave with her.

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

"Griff, come in here please," Lilith said just loudly enough for her son to hear her. Griffin sat up in his chair as the young man they had raised entered the room.

"Yes, mother?" Griff asked, his gaze moving between his parents.

"There has been a small change of plans since we last spoke," the older woman said calmly.

Her son raised an eyebrow. "We're not going to Pentos?"

"We are, my sweet child," Lilith responded with a short shake of her head. "Illyrio has found a perfect location for us to meet with the Golden Company."

"Then what's changed?" Griff questioned hesitantly, his purple eyes widening with curiosity.

"It has been brought to our attention that your claim to the throne might be refuted on a larger scale than what we first anticipated," Lilith explained in her normal motherly tone.

"What do you mean?"

"We have friends in the Seven Kingdoms that have been planting seeds of information about your return and the main response has been disbelief," Lilith told her son.

Griff narrowed his eyes. "People don't believe I'm alive?"

"All seven kingdoms have known of your 'death' for over eighteen years. Those who do support the Targaryen restoration think supporting your cause would be too risky," Griff's father said with obvious hostility in his brown eyes.

Griff pressed his lips into a taught line as he stared at his parents. He had always thought it would be hard to convince people of his true identity, but he believed that his parents had a plan in place. "So, what are we going to do instead?"

"Cassana is still unmarried," Griffin announced as he placed his fist on the table. "Marrying her would diminish any doubts of your right to the Iron Throne."

Griff shut his eyes for a second as his jaw fell open slightly. He took a deep breath and met his parents gaze. "Two weeks ago you assured me that Cassana would be my sister—my family. Now, you want me to marry her?"

"We don't just want it, my son. We need it," Lilith told him. "But there's one last thing we need to take care of before we can move forward with this."

"And what is that?" Griff asked, barely sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Cassana has been named queen regent until her second cousin, Shireen Baratheon, comes of age. Well, we don't need her to be the queen regent. We need her to be the queen," Griffin retorted with a quiet sigh.

"Are you saying that we have to kill an innocent girl?" Griff questioned unbelievingly.

"We will have to kill thousands in order for you to become king without dispute," Lilith clarified.

"Of course, people will try to unseat you, but we will deal with those traitors as they come along," Griffin said as he leaned back in his chair.

"What of my aunt?" Griff clenched his hands into fists.

"The attempts to unite our causes have been unsuccessful," Lilith said with a shrug. "So, when the day comes, we will destroy her too."

"Yes, mother," Griff responded as calmly as he could. He trusted and loved his parents with all of his being. They had done more for him than any other person in the world, but as he listened to them talk about their plans for his future he could not help but wonder if the lust for the Iron Throne had started to corrupt their minds. One second he was to marry his aunt and the next he is to be betrothed to his _sister_. Griff did not care by what means he would end up on the throne just that he would be the one to sit on it at the end of this war.

 _If Cassana Baratheon's hand in marriage will put me on the throne then I will do whatever it takes to get make sure we marry,_ Griff thought decisively.

 **Stannis is dead. Cassana's parents are a little too hopeful in thinking she would marry Aegon. Shireen is being sent to safety in the Free Cities (or is she?) Robb is heartbroken but determined to change Cassana's decision. And Cassana has no idea what her next move in the war should be. What will happen next?!**

 **Just to put a few things out there  
** **1\. This story is told from the characters POV so their opinions and views are going to be very flawed at times. Also the opinions I give my/the characters are not always the ones I agree with.  
** **2\. Cassana's parents are not supposed to be likable characters and it will get worse.  
** **3\. I can promise that I will give an explanation eventually as to why Cassana's parents left her behind. A hint I can give is that it will play off a fan theory that I don't believe is widely supported and it will tie Cassana to Jon Snow in a peculiar way. Feel free to guess what it is…**

 **Question of the day:** Robb and Cassana or Cassana and Aegon?

 **Review Replies**

 **Guest 1:** I completely understand how you feel, but there is an explanation that will make sense. I won't be revealing it for a while though. I do agree with everything you say about the rightful heir, but the characters have their own opinions of who they think deserves the throne or should be entitled to it so I have to portray that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the review!

 **NicoleR85:** Thank you so much! I hope this lived up to your expectations. Thank you for the review!

 **HermioneandMarcus:** Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!

 **Guest 2:** Thank you! I was worried the twist with her parents would not be well received. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!

 **EGRiddle:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you like this story so much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!

 **Rachel732:** Thank you! I will be diving into Cass' past involving her parents and of course she will have a lot more interaction with Robb! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you or the review!

 **Sabrina:** Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!

 **Anna.B:** Thank you! It was this picture of Nina Dobrev that inspired me to create this story. She is just so beautiful and I loved her as Tatia in The Originals! After reading your comment I added more components to this chapter such as her healing and Davos (I love his character too!) and I hope you enjoyed those parts! And I know that her parent's opinions seem bizarre, but that's just how they are. And I will give an explanation to why they left Cassana behind and so on, but it won't be for a while. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for your review!

 **ssooo:** Trust me when I say Cass' parents will have a hard time receiving her forgiveness. She will make them fight for it and in the end she might not forgive them at all. You'll have to keep reading to find that out (; And I loved Sansa too much to let her go through what she went through on the show. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the review!

 **Guest 3:** I promise everything will be explained, but you are right. Cassana will struggle to forgive them and she might not do it at all in the end. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for your review!

 **loud outcast:** Thank you so much! That is such a great thing to hear! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **A/N:** There is a bit of a time jump here that picks up after Cassana went overseas with Davos to the Iron Bank and got enough money to hire a large army of sellswords. She then returned to Westeros with that army. Because I have so much planned, I didn't see a good reason to spend a chapter just covering her trip. It's been about a week since Cassana's talk with Robb. Please enjoy!

 **Darkness**

 _A coin is spinning atop a table. A flag with a kraken on it is burning. There are small stag statuettes placed across a map; one in the Riverlands, one in the North, one in the Westerlands, and one in the Stormlands. Two bloodied hands reach for each other. A pair of brown eyes turns a ghostly white. A beautiful woman with purple eyes is lying beside a handsome dark-haired man. The Wall is looming in the distance. A sign reads the word Traitor. White snow is stained red with blood. A large wolf attacks a tall stag. A flag with a dragon on it flies in the distance. A beautiful white-haired man faces a pregnant woman. Blood pours over the Iron Throne. A man made of ice sits on a rotting horse. A woman with white hair grabs a dark-haired woman's hand. A crown of steel is dropped into a pool of blood. Fire comes from the sky, scorching the earth in a blanket of flames._

Cassana gasped as she sat up in her bed, clutching her chest. She looked around fervently, realizing she was still in her small tent. Her army of sellswords was still making their way back to her army camped in the Westerlands. A sigh of relief seeped from her mouth as she ran a hand through her hair and lay back down. The young Baratheon stared at the ceiling as she tried to remember her dream. The parts she did remember were, above all else, confusing, but she reminded herself that it as just a dream. She rolled over and forced herself to take deep, calming breaths.

 _It was just a dream,_ she repeated to herself until she fell asleep.

* * *

Cassana pulled back her reins, causing her horse to slow to a stop. She smiled politely when she saw a few of her southron counselors riding towards her. They had been chosen to remain at the camp with what was left of Stannis' army while Cassana sailed to Braavos to meet with the Iron Bank. The voyage had been a success as she was now returning with over ten thousand men serving her. The Baratheon had decided to take a longer route back to avoid any run-ins with the Lannister forces that inhabited parts of the Stormlands. Cassana was pleased to see that Stannis had placed enough men at Storm's End to hold it for her family, but more than half of the Stormlands had been overtaken by their enemies. She decided to leave one thousand men there in order to help reclaim her homeland.

"Your Grace," the men chorused as they rode up to her.

"My lords," she returned with a small nod of her head.

"I see you received enough men for our cause," one of the older knights said, looking at the large army that was on her heels.

"No number would ever be enough," Cassana retorted. "But this will help us get the upper hand in the Westerlands."

"We received news from the Riverlands that House Tully have managed to push the Lannisters farther back."

Cassana pressed her lips together. "We need to keep them in the Crownlands and the Reach. We can allow them to hold King's Landing and Highgarden as long as we continue to spread our forces over the remaining kingdoms."

"Well, with every day that passes another lord declares for you, Your Grace," a knight told her.

"Good," Cassana sighed. "Once we've claimed the Riverlands and the Westerlands, we can press on to the Stormlands."

"What of the North?"

"Robb said that he does not need southern assistance. He has some of his men working to reclaim Winterfell and the coast that the Ironborn have stolen from him," Cassana said with a woeful glance. "I just hope that the Prince of the North knows who he can trust."

"And what if he does not?"

"We will assist him, but only if he asks for it and only after I have reclaimed my home," Cassana responded, determined. She shifted in her saddle as she looked over her shoulder at her army of sellswords. She raised an eyebrow when she turned back to the lords and knights of the Stormlands. "Is there anything else I should be aware of before I return to camp?"

The men exchanged looks before one of them spoke up hesitantly. "A visitor from Dragonstone arrived here three days ago. She has been stubborn and unmoving, saying she only wishes to speak to you. We have managed to keep her in a tent of her own, though."

"Who is she?" Cassana asked.

"It's the Red Woman, Your Grace," a knight said.

Cassana grit her teeth as an angry breath escaped between her lips. "Melisandre is here?"

"Yes, and she wished to speak with you as soon as you returned."

"And why should I give her the benefit of my attention?" Cassana scoffed.

"She said she has something of great importance to tell you."

The young Baratheon narrowed her eyes at her men. "I know that some of you converted to her faith, but do you honestly believe I should even talk to her after everything that she led Stannis to do."

"Listening to her would not do any harm," a knight told the queen regent. "You do not have to abide by her words as Stannis did."

Cassana sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Fine," she said, "I agree to speak with her in my tent. Ser Manston, please send for her. The rest of you are to help these men set up camp."

"Yes, Your Grace," the men chorused before riding off to complete their tasks. Cassana breathed in deeply and rode off to find the Caron knights and Ser Davos. She needed them by her side during her talk with Melisandre. Davos always doubted the Red Woman and Cassana wanted to his perspective on whatever she had to say. She would not be swayed like Stannis was.

* * *

The Red Woman was already waiting for them inside Cassana's tent by the time they arrived covered in dirt and the smelling of sweat from their long ride. Cassana did not care what she looked like around the Red Woman, though. She could no longer be intimidated by the woman.

"Cassana," Melisandre said thoughtfully as her gaze lingered on the Baratheon queen.

"You will address her as Your Grace alone, Red Woman," Ser Willem stepped towards the priestess.

"Pardons, Your Grace," she responded, her words coming out slow and deliberate.

Cassana smiled faintly as she made her way to her writing table. She sat opposite of Melisandre and gestured for the woman to sit facing her. The Red Woman obliged, but Cassana could see that her gaze was always moving around the tent stealthily. The young Baratheon knew that Melisandre was experienced at using her _allies_ weaknesses against them. Stannis wanted a son and heir and the Red Woman offered to give him one. Instead, she gave him the tool to murder his brother, something that Cassana would never forget.

"What is it that you wished to speak to me about?" Cassana asked as Willem, Waldron, and Davos came to stand on either side of her, their own gazes trained on the red priestess.

"You, Your Grace," Melisandre responded, her voice deep and sultry.

"Me?" Cassana raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"I have looked into the fire and I have seen what lies inside of you—the things you would never dream of knowing on your own," Melisandre said calculatingly.

Cassana let out a short, quiet laugh as she sat back in her chair. She sighed and met the priestess' gaze. "What things?"

Melisandre leaned forward in her seat. She placed an elbow on the table and pointed at Cassana elegantly. "I can see deep into your heart, Cassana, and I see a darkness fighting its way to the surface. You may not know this, but there is a bitterness that is putting roots deep inside of you and eventually it will spread though you like a disease, and it will consume you."

"You cannot speak to her like that," Waldron told Melisandre as his hand gripped the hilt of his longsword. "She is your queen."

"She is no one's queen. Not yet. Not until they put the crown on her head and by then it will be covered in the blood of the innocent."

"You will show her some respect," Davos warned as his own short fingers curled around his sword.

"I came here out of respect for her and for Stannis," Melisandre said with a small smirk on her red lips. "There are only a handful of women who were born to be queen. Others must fight to sit upon the throne and I have seen what you will do to be the one to sit on the Iron Throne at the end of this war."

"You have said what you needed to say, and now I suggest you leave," Cassana told her as she clenched a fist atop the table.

Melisandre stood slowly, her hands intertwining in front of her stomach. "Take heed, child. You may think you know what you are capable of and who you are, but you do not."

Cassana stood abruptly, causing her chair to fall back onto the floor. "I am Cassana Baratheon, daughter of Orion Baratheon and Raelinn Dondarrion. I am the next Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms and the second heir to Baratheon line. I know who I am!"

Melisandre's lips parted out of amusement. Her lips moved up into a smile as she realized something. "You have no idea who you are and the truth will walk in your shadow. It will be your destiny and it will be your doom."

"Get out," Cassana seethed. When Melisandre neglected to move, the Baratheon brought her fist down on the table. "Get out or I'll have you thrown out!"

"You will thank me one day, girl," the Red Woman said before walking out of the tent.

"Who is she to think she can speak to me like that? I may be just a girl, but I am a queen! She should know that I could have had her killed after just one word," Cassana said as she began to sit back down.

Willem caught her elbow and hurried to pick up her fallen chair. "You have the Baratheon temper, but it might be best not to showcase it for someone like her."

Cassana took a deep breath as her gaze dropped to her clenched her fist. She breathed out slowly as she laid her hand out flat on the table. She pressed her lips together as Melisandre's warnings continued to haunt her. "What do you think she meant when she said—"

"I would do away with her words, Your Grace," Davos told her. "She was trying to upset you. She likes to use people's emotions against them."

Cassana looked up at the Onion Knight. "Answer me honestly, Davos. Has there ever been any truth to the things she told Stannis? Has her visions or predictions ever been correct?"

"Sometimes there was a bit of truth attached to the things she told Stannis," Ser Davos said, nodding slowly. "But half of the time, I feared she orchestrated those truths."

"Thank you for telling me," Cassana said as she relaxed in her chair. She knew Melisandre could not be trusted so she forced herself to dismiss the priestess' warning as nothing but lies meant to stop her advancement in the war. "You are excused. I need to wash off this dirt and prepare myself to speak with Robb and his men. They will want to know about my additions to the army."

"Yes, Your Grace," the men chorused before leaving her alone in the tent.

* * *

Robb sighed as he stared at the map lying in front of him. The size alone frightened him. There were seven kingdoms that he needed to either seize or ally himself with in order to get Cassana to the Iron Throne. There were few things that could be said to him that would boost his confidence.

The prince looked up when he heard someone clear their throat. He stood up a little straighter when he saw it was his squire. The young Frey looked terribly nervous. "Pardon, Prince, but Melisandre of Asshai has requested an audience with you."

Robb narrowed his eyes. He had spoken with the priestess the day she arrived at the camp, but she hadn't been seen since. "She may enter."

The younger boy hurried out of the tent and a moment later the tall, red woman entered. She did not waste time with a formal greeting. Instead she walked up to him, a fire in her eyes.

The prince stepped back and cleared his throat as she stared at him. "Is there something you needed to speak to me about?"

"Cassana," Melisandre said. She looked over at the map beside them and smiled lightly. "Blood is all I see when I look at this."

Robb narrowed his eyes as he glanced down at the map. He sighed silently. "You said you wanted to speak to me about Cassana. Is there something wrong with her?"

"Terribly wrong," Melisandre nodded, but did not elaborate.

"Did she send you? Is she hurt?"

"No. Physically, she is fine, _Prince of the North_ ," Melisandre said. The way she said his title was almost like she was mocking him.

"Then why—" He started, ignoring the sting of the Red Woman's tone.

"You love her."

"I—You cannot—"

"It was not a question, prince," Melisandre said as she looked up at him. "You love her and she denied your advances."

"How did you know?" Robb demanded.

"It does not matter how I knew. It only matters that I did."

"Why?"

"Because I need you to believe what I'm about to tell you," Melisandre told him quietly.

"And what could you tell me about Cassana that I don't already know?" Robb raised an eyebrow as he took his seat at the head of the table. He watched the red priestess as she sat on the edge, leaning in close to his face.

"There is a fire burning in the kingdom, and it is Cassana. She has a passion which cannot be contained; not by you, not by the whole Seven Kingdoms. Just below the surface of her regal poise, a battle rages. It is a battle between her past and future and as she struggles to find herself and where she belongs, we are able to see it all through her eyes. And within those eyes is the spark of what will to come, a preview of the greatest queen known to legend."

Robb sighed quietly. "That is what we are hoping for."

"And it will happen," Melisandre paused, "if you keep her from discovering the truth about herself."

"What truth?" Robb asked, but Melisandre just gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "How can I protect her when I do not know what it is that I have to protect her from?"

"I cannot reveal the truth to you for you will be tempted to tell her. All I can say is that you should never allow her to seek her parents."

"They are alive?" Robb questioned.

"I did not say that, but if she tries to unravel the mystery behind their disappearance she will discover things that will turn her from being the greatest queen known to legend to the cruelest usurper in the history of the Seven Kingdoms," the Red Woman told the prince.

Robb chuckled outright. "Cassana? Cruel? She may have a temper, but she is not cruel. She has a good heart."

"She does," Melisandre nodded. "But her heart will not remain that way for long. This war will turn her into a queen. The only thing in question is how she will get the throne and the type of queen she will become."

"She will do it the right way," Robb said with utmost certainty.

Melisandre only smiled. "Mayhap, but take heed and never forget my words, Robb Stark, because one day you will look back and see how right I was."

The Prince of the North tried to find something to say in Cassana's defense, but he could not find the words. The red priestess turned and walked towards the front of the tent. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at Robb, a small smirk on her red lips. "The darkness is already inside her, prince, and I have seen what she is capable of when if it emerges. She is dangerous."

Robb watched the Red Woman until she disappeared into the night.

* * *

Cassana pushed a few stray hairs out of her face as she approached Robb's tent. It had been nearly a week since she last spoke to him and she was undoubtedly nervous about seeing him again. She tried to push those feelings down though. She had a job to do as their queen.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ser Willem asked as they neared the entrance.

"We could deliver the information just fine without you, if that is what you wish," Davos said reassuringly. Cassana herself had told him about her feelings for the Prince of the North and he felt for her.

"No," she shook her head. "I need to do this. I cannot appear to be weak when we are just starting to make advancements in this war."

"It was a long ride, Your Grace," Waldron said, "we could just tell them that you were too tired to sit through a meeting for half the night."

"I want to be in there," Cassana told her men.

"We will be by your side the entire time, Your Grace," Waldron assured her.

"Thank you."

The four southerners entered the tent together once they had been announced. Cassana greeted the northern prince and his high lords before sitting at the other end of the table, across from Robb. The long map that stretched between them was decorated with the same statuettes Cassana had seen before she left for Braavos.

"I would like to begin by saying that the voyage across the Narrow Sea was a success. Shireen has been safely hidden deep inside one of the Free Cities and we were approved for a loan from the Iron bank, which we used to buy ten thousand more men, swords, and horses and a few boats that are now docked at Storm's End," Cassana smiled as she delivered the news. Her smile widened slightly when she saw the northern lords nod in approval.

"That puts our total number of men at possibly thirty thousand men," Lord Umber announced, a large smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"That's enough to fight a battle that counts, Your Grace," someone said and Cassana nodded.

"That is the direction in which I was headed, my lord," she told the man. "I believe that we are in a good position to start moving for Casterly Rock."

"The Lannister's seat," one of the lords mused.

"If we capture it they will lose face with their men and we will be able to have a real defendable place to set up our command base," Cassana continued.

"And if we don't, we may lose thousands," Lady Mormont sighed.

"Tywin Lannister has gathered his forces in King's Landing, the Reach, and parts of the Stormlands," Cassana responded quickly. "The Westerlands, Casterly Rock most included, has been left to be defended by low lords and small sentries."

"The Lannisters would not expect us to attack their home," Lord Umber murmured. "It would take them by surprise."

"Casterly Rock might not be heavily defended, but it is still a huge risk to attack," Robb said, speaking for the first time since Cassana had entered the tent.

"What good is it to increase our numbers and just sit idly by while the Lannisters continue to kill our people? We need to move soon—maybe not to Casterly Rock, but somewhere. These men I brought with me are not patient and they will abandon us if we just continue on like this," Cassana said, looking directly at Robb. She was not trying to challenge his authority, but she knew that it was not only her people who were growing impatient.

"She is right, my lord," Lord Glover said as he looked at Robb.

"What are the other choices we have?" Robb asked no one in particular.

Cassana sighed quietly. "We could move back to the Riverlands and help your mothers family rid their lands of the Lannisters completely. We could also head to the Stormlands and do the same there, but that would be an even harder feat and more dangerous."

"We could go back North and run the Greyjoys out of our lands," Lord Hornwood said.

"If we go back now, our men will not want to leave again," Robb shook his head.

Lord Bolton sat up in his seat and looked over at Cassana. "Do you think we can win if we attack Casterly Rock?"

"I do," Cassana nodded without a moment of hesitation.

"I say we start moving our forces tomorrow," Roose suggested.

Robb tapped something in his hand against the table and he pressed his lips together. Cassana watched him as he debated with himself. She wanted him to see that her plan would pay off the best… if it worked.

"We should go back to the Riverlands," Robb decided. "Riverrun is as good as any castle to use as a command base and after we help the river lords excavate the Lannisters from their lands, they can join us in conquering Casterly Rock."

"By then the Lannisters would have replenished their forces and it would be of no use to attack," Cassana told him.

"Pardon, my lords, Your Grace," a young knight heaved as he nearly ran into the tent. "We've just received a letter."

Cassana took the single letter that the young man handed her. She ripped the seal and inhaled angrily when she read the letter's content. She crumpled the letter in her fist as she looked up at Robb.

"What is it?" Robb asked when he saw the look in her eyes. He thought about the things Melisandre had told him, wondering if this was the spark she was speaking of.

"Your Grace?" Lord Umber asked when Cassana stood up abruptly and walked to where the Stormlands were mapped out. She did not say a word as she moved another of the lion statues from King's Landing to the place marked Storm's End.

"They've laid a siege on my people two days after I left the Stormlands," Cassana seethed.

"The Lannisters want the Stormlands to insure their security," Lord Glover told her.

"I know that," Cassana said. "And to make sure that the additional men I left there do not interfere, they have begun to kill the innocent."

"What do you mean?" Lord Umber asked.

"Children, mothers, old men and women," Cassana responded. "The response to my people trying to move against the Lannisters is the slaughter of the innocent."

Cassana tossed her letter to Robb, who caught it easily and unfolded it. The young Baratheon clenched her teeth as she made her way back to her seat, dropping into it with a heavy sigh. Robb placed the letter on the table once he was done.

"What do you want to do?" He asked.

"Take Casterly Rock, make as many westerland lords declare for me as possible, and march to the Stormlands to lift the siege and retake my home," Cassana told him decisively.

Robb exchanged short looks with a few of his high lords before looking back at Cassana. "We will mobilize our forces in the morning and reach Casterly Rock in a few day's time."

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

Griff grunted as he lunged with his sword in hand. He smirked when the young squire fell back after being unable to defend himself. Griff dropped the sword and helped the boy out of the dirt. He went to return the sword to the weapons rack after shaking hands with the squire. He paused when he heard his mother's voice ring out over the yard from the window just above him.

"She's there! All we have to do is hire someone to make sure she never returns to Westeros!" His father shouted at his mother, no doubt.

"If we do this, she will never forgive us!" His mother responded, sounding even angrier.

"She will thank us! Doing this will deliver practically put the crown on her head—on Griff's head!"

Griff squeezed his eyes shut when he realized what his parents were arguing about. It was the Baratheon girl, their second niece. He did not understand how his father could go about killing a member of his family with such ease. Griff knew that his parents wanted to put him on the throne, probably more than he wanted it for himself, but he was no longer sure they were thinking clearly.

 _How far is too far?_ Griff asked himself.

"Besides," his father said, his tone calmer, "she would never have to know it was us. The Lannisters or any of her enemies could have very well paid someone to kill the girl."

"And what do we do if she asks us to our face?" His mother responded.

"We lie, like we've been doing since the day she was born," his father said.

"Eventually, we have to tell her everything—everything about her parents," her mother said and Griff could hear the sadness in her voice. "She deserves to know who she is."

"What good would that do? If she knew the truth, it would ruin everything."

"It would bring me peace," she responded. A short pause ensued, making Griff wonder if the conversation was over. "They were our friends and we've kept this secret for them, but they are dead and we are going back home so we must ask ourselves what is best for Cassana."

"What about the boy?"

"Even if he heard the truth, it would not change anything for him," Lilith said. "He is a lost cause, but there is a chance we can still help Cassana."

"She doesn't need saving. She needs to remain a Baratheon so we can have the throne," Griffin responded without hesitation.

Griff walked away from the window before he could hear any more. He was never good at keeping secrets and he was supposedly going to be marrying Cassana. It would be in everyone's best interest if he just forgot about whatever his parents were speaking about.

 **So, in case it was missed, Cassana is not the biological daughter of Orion Baratheon and Raelinn Dondarrion, which means she no longer has a blood right to the throne, but she has no idea of this. There will be another time jump before next chapter so it will pick up after the Battle of Casterly Rock and there will be even more time jumps in the coming chapters. I'm trying to only focus on the big events in this story so it won't get clogged up with a bunch of useless sideline stories. Expect more Cass and Robb in the next chapter and some alliances to be figured out. Also, more Aegon. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter. Reviews, follows, and favorites are appreciated. Thank you for reading!**

 **Question of the day:** Any guesses as to whom Cassana's parents could be? Any guess is a good one ;)

 **Review Replies**

 **Arianne Le Fay:** I definitely agree. I wish there were more Aegon/OC stories. That was why I wrote my story this way, so there could be the possibility of it if the readers like it. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Kailia Kerovia Oliver:** Robb/Cassana is definitely the leading match so I'll probably focus mainly on that as this story progresses. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **loud outcast:** Thank you so much! I thought the Aegon/Cass pairing would be kind of different so I am going to play with it a little, but Robb/Cass is my number one at the moment. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Pompeii1224:** I do too! And Cassana's parents are a lot more than just delusional. I think you'll either learn to hate them or at least understand why they did what they did. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **HermioneandMarcus:** Thank you, thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Fenrir44:** Robb and Cass are definitely my number one focus so I hope you'll be content with their ever-complicated relationship. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **crazystacey:** Thank you so much! I was hoping to make a strong female character! And Aegon is definitely going to be involved moving forward with this. Thank you so much for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Guest 1:** Thank you! I will definitely be playing around with pairings in this story so stay tuned! And I actually have been rethinking my face-claim for Cass because there is another character that Nina Dobrev might be a better fit for. Katie McGrath might be the new Cass, but I still have to think about it. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Guest 2:** That seems to be the general go-to so I'm glad to say that more Robb/Cass will be coming. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Guest 3:** I don't think Shireen will ever truly be safe now that Cass' parents know where she is. And even if they do successfully get to Shireen, Cassana would never know who it was that killed her, unless Aegon or her parents tell her. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **The Lion's Den**

Casterly Rock had not changed since the years Cassana had spent there in her youth. She liked to think of it as more of a fortress rather than a castle. She remembered being told once that the colossal rock was larger than The Wall, and looking down at the sea from her room the young Baratheon was sure it was true. It took them days to clear the large castle and the tunnels underneath. It was only after the city was secured by her army that Cassana, Sansa, Lady Stark, and their protection detail were allowed to enter. Once they had settled into the strange place, Robb had called for a meeting of all their commanders. Cassana could feel the guilt set in when she was told that they had lost nearly nine hundred men in the battle. The only thing that helped her remorse was that they had won in the end, securing Casterly Rock for themselves. It was a feat that would help turn the tides of the war in their favor.

With the help of the northern and southern lords, Cassana and Robb began to map out the best way to proceed. They would build up the defense of Casterly Rock and Lannisport before sending their men out in every direction to conquer the remaining major cities of the Westerlands. Since the Riverlands were nearly secured more help would be arriving soon to assist them in moving towards the Stormlands. Cassana knew their forces would fluctuate as the war continued so she held several councils with her some of her trusted advisors to figure out who she would have to marry to increase their chances of outlasting the Lannister force. They had been at it for two days when a letter arrived for Cassana. Inside it held an offer of the assistance of the renowned Golden Company in return for the queen regent's hand in marriage to an undetermined commander.

"Do you think it's a serious offer?" Cassana asked as the last of her advisors read the letter.

"It appears to be," Lomas Estermont said. "Besides, they are giving us a chance to decide that for ourselves."

"We should agree to meet with them," Rolland Storm suggested. After the death of Willem and Waldron's older brother, Lord Bryce Caron, their bastard brother was the only other member of House Caron who was an experienced commander. Cassana was weary to admit him to her council, but she quickly learned he was one of the few good men that remained to her service after the Battle of the Blackwater.

"He is right, Your Grace," Willem agreed. "It is the first reasonable offer we've received."

"It does not even say his name," Cassana sighed. "What happens if I decide to decline the offer?"

"They return across the narrow sea," Ser Gerald Gower told her.

"We need those men," Cassana paused, "so I agree to the meeting."

"You will always have the choice to deny the offer," Rolland reminded her. "You are the queen regent after all."

Cassana smiled faintly at the older man. She pressed her lips together as she stared at the papers and maps in front of her. She looked up at her advisors when her eyes landed on the Vale. "Has House Arryn responded to our letter?"

"No," Waldron said. "I believe they are trying to remain mutual in this war."

"There is no such thing as mutuality in this war," Cassana scoffed. "They are either going to ally with us or, by definition, they are against us."

"I do not believe that is how Lady Arryn sees it," Lord Sebastian Errol said, looking at his queen.

"Either she wants to marry her sickly son to Shireen or not," Cassana retorted. "If not, we have to work fast to find an even better replacement."

"I suggest we send one more raven and if there is no reply then we can find someone else for Shireen," Davos said, speaking for the first time since the meeting started.

"Fine," Cassana said quietly. "Send another letter with the same offer, but make sure it says that we will not extend it again." She watched as Lord Errol began writing the letters to House Arryn and the Golden Company par her instructions. Once she read and approved them, the letters was sent off to be delivered. "When are the forces mobilizing?"

"A few days, Your Grace," Ser Willem responded. "The four sentries will be moving out in all different directions."

"How long can our men at Storm's End last under siege?" Cassana looked to Davos for the answer, knowing he was quite experienced on the matter.

"Stannis held Storm's End for a year during Robert's Rebellion," Davos said.

"And they were reduced to eating rats, horses, and dogs by the end of it," Cassana told him. "How long can they survive without being forced to do that?"

"A few months at the most, Your Grace," Davos responded.

"If it lasts longer than that, can I trust that you will do everything in your power to get them what they need?" Cassana looked to the retired smuggler.

"Of course, Your Grace," Davos nodded without hesitation.

"Thank you," Cassana smiled genuinely. She knew that even though Davos had lost his two eldest sons during the Battle of the Blackwater somehow he was still willing to serve her family loyally and undoubtedly. She held him and his council in high esteem.

"I think we are done for today," Cassana told her advisors. "Thank you for your council and we will reconvene tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Grace," the men chorused before leaving her with the three people she gestured to stay; Willem, Waldron, and Davos.

"I need to speak with Robb," she said when they looked at her.

"About what?" Waldron questioned.

"The North. I heard from one of his high lords that there was a letter from Winterfell that arrived today. I thought Robb might have called on me already, but he has not so I will go to him," Cassana explained with a small shrug.

Willem smirked. "Any chance that this would be an excuse to talk to the Prince without his entire council present?"

Cassana shot him a playful look. "That is a possibility."

"You two should learn to be more than just distant allies," Willem said.

"She should not pursue any type of relationship with the Stark prince other than a political one," Waldron countered.

"Why not?" Willem asked his brother.

"Because it might give him false hope," Waldron responded with a perceptive glance at his twin.

"I appreciate your opinions on the matter, but I am only going to speak with him about the North. Nothing else," Cassana told the knights resolutely. She stood from her seat and exited her room as the twins began arguing over more insignificant matters.

"Pray pardon, Your Grace," Davos said as he came up behind her. She turned to him with a smile. "I was hoping to escort you to the prince's room. My bedchamber is in the same direction."

"Of course, ser," Cassana nodded. She took his arm when he offered it and they fell into a steady pace side by side. They walked in silence until Davos gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Did you know that I was only fifteen when I met my wife?" Davos asked and Cassana looked at him, shaking her head. "I was still smuggling and she was the daughter of a carpenter that I came across in my travels. I like to believe it was love at first sight, but it took years to convince her father to give me his blessing—for the right reasons, of course."

"He did not approve of your profession," Cassana sighed with a short nod.

"Even though Marya and I thought it useless to try to persuade him we did anyways because we loved each other more than anyone else in the world and that was worth fighting for," Davos said. "Sometimes when I look at you and the prince I see Marya and I in our youth."

Cassana stopped and faced the Onion Knight, her lips pressed together thoughtfully. "He's everything I have ever wanted in a man and I do love him, ser. That does not change our standings though. He is promised to another and I have to marry someone who can increase my chances of claiming the throne for Shireen."

"The next few years that you will endure will be filled with treachery, grief, and, above all else, death," Davos told her. "You do not need someone who will help you win the war. You need someone who will make sure you survive the war."

Cassana swallowed. "I have a duty to my family."

"You do," Davos nodded, "but Robb fulfils that duty. You are just too scared of what could happen if you decide to be with him to see it."

"Our union could ruin everything," she whispered. "We need the Freys more than I want Robb."

"As I understand it, Walder Frey only wanted Robb to marry one of his daughters because he was to be the King of the North, but…" Davos hinted.

"He is no longer a king," Cassana said. "He's a prince."

"Princes have a higher standing than a lord, but not as near as high as a queen," Davos smiled faintly.

"Do you think Lysa Arryn will allow her son to marry Shireen?" Cassana asked, expecting only the truth from the trusted knight.

"I do not believe she would. She's too fond of the boy to allow it," Davos responded.

"Thank you, ser," Cassana said as she placed a hand on his shoulder and went up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Go on," Davos gestured to the door a few feet to their right.

Cassana smiled as she walked up to the door and knocked tentatively. When no response came she glanced into the bedchamber to find Robb sitting on the edge of his bed, crying. The young Baratheon felt a rush of embarrassment. She was intruding on Robb's private display and she thought of leaving before he could see her, but he had already seen her. His eyes were red and puffy.

"Cassana," Robb said with endearment, his voice strained.

"Pray pardon, Robb," she responded quickly. "I can come back another time."

"Please, stay," he told her as he held her gaze.

Cassana pursed her lips as she nodded and shut the door behind her. She looked around the room, finding the wine immediately. She went over to the table and poured two cupfuls. The young Baratheon smiled compassionately as she walked to the bed and handed one of the cups to Robb. He took the wine with one hand and used to other to take hold of Cassana's free hand. She sat down beside him and took a drink long drink from her cup.

"The letter," Cassana gestured to the paper in his hands.

"Winterfell is in ruins—burnt to the ground," Robb sighed as his gaze dropped to the letter. "They killed my brothers. At least, that is what it said. My mother told me not to believe it, but I cannot help it."

"Theon Greyjoy was the ward of your family for many years," she reminded him. "I doubt he would have killed the boys."

"But what if he did?" Robb looked at her, his eyes tearing up. "What if I just left them there to be slaughtered?"

"The guilt and blame would still go to the Greyjoys, Robb," Cassana said. "They are the ones who chose to betray your family. If they killed your brothers then they will be the one to pay the consequence with their own blood."

"My mother warned me not to send Theon to negotiate with his father, but I did not listen to her," Robb murmured, his words barely reaching Cassana's ears. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Cassana took a deep breath when Robb's shoulders shook with a sob. He dropped his head as the tears began to fall onto his cheeks and the young Baratheon was at a loss for words. She could count the number of men she had seen cry on one hand. Cassana was not certain what she could do for Robb to make him feel better. He needed to mourn his brothers and his home. She pressed her lips into a taught line as she placed an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. The prince leaned against her as he cried.

The Baratheon queen did know how long she and Robb stayed huddled together, but she did not move away from him until he sat up on his own and wiped his eyes. Cassana wanted to shed tears for the fall of Winterfell and the murders of the youngest Stark siblings, but she hardly ever cried. She had been raised to turn to stone in these types of situations, but around Robb she allowed herself to feel some of his pain—enough to be able to comfort him.

"I am sorry for everything your family has been put through," Cassana said once Robb was finished crying.

"Thank you," he responded, "and I need you to know how grateful I am for everything you've done for my family."

"All I have done is given you more men to command," Cassana responded coolly.

"You saved Sansa," Robb said as he looked at her. "You have given me and my people the hope we needed to continue in this war and that is something I cannot repay you for, but I will spend the rest of my days trying to."

"Any ideas of how you could do that?" Cassana asked.

"I have an idea, but I know you would not agree to it," Robb told her. She took one of his hands and gave it a small squeeze.

"Ask me again, Robb," the queen regent suggested with a small smile.

Robb narrowed his eyes, obviously confused. "Why? What's changed?"

"Walder Frey wanted to marry his daughter to the King of the North, but I think he would prefer to marry one of his sons to the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms," Cassana explained calmly.

"Are you sure you want this for Shireen?"

"She is going to be queen someday and when that day comes I want her to be married to a man that she cares about. If I marry her off young I believe that she will learn to love or at least care for the Frey as I am sure you would have," Cassana said. She smiled and took Robb's hands in his. "You would still have to break your promise to them, but I think it will be done without having to lose all of their men."

"Gods, I love you," Robb sighed heavily as he grabbed both sides of her face gently and drew her into a long kiss.

"I love you too, Robb," Cassana said, her smile widening as she laughed happily as she they pulled apart. "I cannot believe this is actually happening. Wh—when should we marry?"

"As soon as possible," Robb responded.

"We have to wait until Lord Frey approves our offer, but once that is done we will," the queen regent nodded. There were still concerns about how her union with Robb would affect the future, but she would not ignore the chance to be with him. "I swear."

* * *

During the following week letters were sent back and forth between Riverrun, the Twins, and Casterly Rock. Lord Walder Frey agreed to change the marriage contract as long as they agreed to provide him another eligible lord for one of this daughters and attend the wedding personally. The elderly lord knew Shireen was too young to marry, but he demanded to have a permanent tie between the two allies. Cassana and Robb then had to convince Edmure Tully to be the one to marry the Frey. Shortly after everything was put in place they received word that Lord Holster Tully was nearing the end of his life. Robb and Cassana decided that they would have their marriage ceremony at Riverrun with the rest of Robb's family present and then wait until his grandfather passed to continue on to the Twins. They tried to assure Walder Frey that it would take longer than he wanted, but he would get the wedding they agreed to. Cassana spent every night before their departure from Casterly Rock praying that everything would go as she planned. Even the smallest mishap could change everything.

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

"Aegon," Raelinn said as she walked towards the young man she had raised. She took a prideful deep breath when she saw him standing tall in front of a group of men from The Golden Company. They had decided to wash the grey dye from his hair and start calling him by the name given to him at his birth, but it was still hard for his mother to adapt to the changes. Raelinn and her husband Orion also told their son that he could start using their real names as well.

"Mother?" He asked with narrowed eyes. He walked towards her through the room they were using at Griffin's Roost. They had only taken the castle the day prior, but they were already beginning to set up their camp.

"We just received a letter," she told him when he was close enough.

"What did it say?" Aegon questioned.

"Cassana is expected to marry Robb Stark at Riverrun," Raelinn said, "before riding to the Twins to attend the wedding of Edmure Tully and one of the Frey girls."

"I don't think I understand," Aegon responded. "Just a few days ago you said that my marriage to Cassana was nearly secured. Now, she is to marry that wolf?"

"According to our allies here, they fell in love shortly after they met, but Robb Stark was promised to a Frey. Cassana instead changed the marital agreement so that it was a son of Walder Frey that is to marry Shireen Baratheon," his mother explained. "Lord Frey agreed to that, but he wanted a marriage to happen between their families before they moved forward with the war to ensure their allegiance. The letter was supposedly sent to us only a day after the original, but since we departed so quickly, it took even longer to find us."

"Cassana wants to promise Shireen to the Freys, but the girl is as good as dead," Aegon said.

"Not yet, but she will be soon. We gave specific instructions that there is to be only one witness left alive so even if the plan is carried out successfully it will take a while for Cassana to learn of Shireen's death," Raelinn responded. "The only way we can salvage this large alliance is if we get word of Shireen's death to Cassana and she breaks her engagement to Robb so he can marry the Frey and she can marry you."

Aegon sighed heavily as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What did father say about all of this?"

"He's furious, but he believes we can make it to Riverrun before they leave for the Twins," Raelinn told her son.

"And what? Convince Cassana to marry me, a man she has never even met before, instead of a man that she loves? You have gone absolutely mad if you believe that will work," Aegon responded as his temper began to sway. "Both of you have been trying to orchestrate this whole war on the idea that Cassana would marry me, but neither of you have even stopped to think about what would happen if she did not _want_ to marry me!"

"She wants to marry you. She is just not aware of that yet," Raelinn said, her tone cool and regal. "All we have to do is show her what we can offer her cause and she will realize that it would be a mistake to marry Robb Stark."

Aegon had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Fine. We will go to Casterly Rock and we will try to do it your way, but if it does not go as you planned we start doing things my way, which means we return to the Stormlands, take over Storm's End and form an alliance with my mother's family."

"Aegon…" his mother shook her head.

"Either you agree to that right now or I will tell _my_ men to move forward with my plans as soon as we can," Aegon said, his voice demanding and deliberate. Raelinn swallowed before forcing a nod.

"I will tell your father," she sighed and left to return to her bedchambers.

Aegon let out a sigh of relief as he watched his mother walk out of the room. After landing on Westeros with the Golden Company he realized that the trained sellswords were not fighting to claim the Seven Kingdoms for his parents. They were doing it for him. Aegon thought that after taking Griffin's Roost he would ride off to marry Cassana Baratheon and join their forces to claim Westeros together, but having learned that the plan was falling apart he decided that he could no longer leave his faith in his parent's hands. He would allow them to make one last attempt to salvage the alliance they ached for, but if Cassana did not want to help him get onto the Iron Throne, he would make sure she never stood in his way.

 **I thought it was going to take longer to get this far, but with the necessary time jumps we've reached a boiling point. The next chapter will pick up just after Cassana's arrival at Riverrun and will most likely cover her wedding ceremony. Now, Shireen is dead but Cassana will not figure that out for at least two more chapters and by then it might be too late. The timeline will probably be a little wonky for the rest of the story, but it is necessary for this to turn out the way I planned it. I wish I could promise a happy ending, but I could never do such thing because we all know when you play the game of thrones you win or you die; there is no middle ground. Also, I am changing Cassana's face-claim to Katie McGrath because there is another character in this story that is a better fit for Nina Dobrev. Please review and let me know what you think. Follows and favorites are appreciated as well. Thank you for reading!**

 **Question of the day:** Who would you like to see sit on the Iron Throne at the end of this story? Anybody is eligible ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Vows**

 _Cassana looked around the strange room she had just walked into. It was large and several long tables were spread throughout, making her think that it must be some type of dining hall. She started through the room slowly, her gaze searching for anything that could tell her where she was. She stopped when she felt her bare feet land in something. Cassana looked down to find that it was a large pool of blood she was standing in. She leapt out of it and started to wipe her feet against the floor, leaving streaks of blood on the stone. She tripped over something as she inched away and landed on her back with a quiet yelp. The young Baratheon rolled onto her side and a strained groan escaped her lips. She gasped when she saw that she had tripped over a man who was covered in blood. She got to her knees and crawled to his side, checking for life. Cassana pressed her lips into a taught line once she knew he was dead. Several questions flitted through her head, but she would only get the answers by moving on._

 _She got to her feet slowly and turned to survey the rest of the hall. The Baratheon placed a hand over her mouth when she saw that the once empty room was now decorated with dead bodies and soaked with blood. Cassana placed her hand under her nose to smother the smell of the rotting dead bodies as she continued through the hall. A part of her wanted to run or cry, but there was something pulling her deeper into the carnage. She was halfway to the front of the hall when her eyes landed on a familiar figure. Robb was lying several feet in front of her in a pool of his own blood, his eyes glazed over._

" _No!" Cassana screamed as she fell to her knees beside the man she loved, cradling him against her chest. She knew he was dead, but that did not stop her from pressing her forehead to his. "You cannot leave me," she cried quietly. "Please, come back to me."_

 _She was startled when she heard a sudden gasp echo through the dining hall. Cassana tore her gaze from Robb and glanced around the room. She looked back down at Robb and nearly screamed when she saw he was no long there. When she lifted her gaze again she saw a man she did recognize standing before her. Roose Bolton._

" _The Lannisters send their regards," he said, smiling._

" _The Young Wolf is dead."_

 _Cassana forced herself to look away from the northerner and recognized the man standing beside him. She had only met him once many years ago, but his name came to her._

" _Lord Frey," she breathed as she got to her feet. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and stared at the two men she thought of as allies._

" _I owe my queen a wedding gift," the elderly man said as he gestured to Cassana. She looked down at herself, gasping when she finds her own stomach covered in blood. The pain from the stab wounds is almost ghostly; she knew it was there, but it did not truly hurt._

" _The Lannisters send their regards," the two men echoed several times once they came to stand side by side._

 _Cassana clenched her teeth as an unquenchable anger washed through her entire body. She started towards Lord Frey and Lord Bolton, but stopped when she saw Robb standing behind them. He was still covered in blood with arrows sticking out of him in every direction, but he was standing there, looking at her._

" _You know what you have to do," her wolf told her._

 _Cassana inhaled deeply when Robb's mother appeared beside her son. She shuddered as she took in the sight of the woman's deeply cut throat. "The North will never forget."_

 _The young Baratheon pressed her lips together when she felt something in her hand. She looked down to see that it was a dagger the size of her forearm. Cassana did know what she had to do. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the traitors. She stared at Lord Walder Frey for a moment before plunging the dagger straight through his chest. She slid in front of Lord Roose Bolton and repeated the motion._

" _The Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts," Cassana said as the two lords died right in front of her. She dropped the dagger and stared at her hands as the sound of the metal hitting the stone rang through the hall. They were covered in a layer of blood so thick that she could no longer see her own skin color._

" _Their blood is on your hands," a small voice echoed through the room. The young Baratheon turned to see a small boy smiling at her. His hair was the same color as Robb's and the color of his eyes matched Cassana's. She swallowed as she knelt before the boy. He stepped towards her and placed a hand over her bloody stomach. "And you will never be able to wash it off."_

Cassana shot up from her bed, gasping as she placed a hand over her stomach. She exhaled when she could not feel any blood. She buried her sweat-covered face in her hands as she took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart. The dream had been coming to her every night since they left Casterly Rock six days prior. Sometimes, she could go right back to sleep, but other nights she stayed up until the sun began to rise. Robb had told her each time that it was just a dream, but it haunted her nonetheless. She feared one night she would wake up and find her hands still covered with blood.

The young Baratheon scooted back on her bed until she was able to lean against the headboard. She pulled her knees to her chest, hoping for the fatigue to force her back to sleep, but it never came. She thought about the dream until the handmaidens knocked at her door hours later. Once she was cleaned and dressed, she was escorted to Robb's bedchambers where he was waiting to have breakfast with her like every morning.

They shared a short kiss before she sat down beside him. He started on about the normal things like whatever news he had received from Casterly Rock or the other conquered cities in the Westerlands and Riverlands. She was pleased to hear that her forces were continuously working their way east towards the Stormlands, setting up small cavalries along the way, but she remained silent. It did not take long for Robb to realize that Cassana was being unusually quiet.

"Was it that dream again?" Robb questioned even though he knew the answer.

"It is always the same one," Cassana murmured. She kept her gaze focused on her plate of food until Robb took her hand in his.

"It is just a dream, my love," Robb assured her when she looked up at him. "We are safe."

Cassana pressed her lips together anxiously. Robb knew every part of the dream by heart since she had told him about it every time it came to her, but she had yet to share an idea that had been floating through her mind for the last two days. She looked at her betrothed and forced a weak smile. "I think the boy—the one in my dream—is our son."

"What?" Robb raised an eyebrow. "Are you—"

"I have no idea," Cassana said. "But he had your hair and your smile and he had my eyes. And when he placed his hand on my stomach I felt this overwhelming feeling that I needed to protect him."

"I'm sure you're not the only person to dream about the children they want to have someday," Robb said as he squeezed her hand.

"His name was Eddard," Cassana told her beloved quietly. "It just came to me during the dream, but I think it is a good name for a son."

Robb exhaled as he smiled. "A perfect name."

"Mind you, I do not know if I am pregnant. It is possible, but if I am and it turns out to be a boy I want to name him Eddard," Cassana said with utmost certainty.

"Eddard Stark," Robb tried the name on his tongue.

"Little Ned," Cassana smiled. Robb slid his hand up her arm and onto her cheek, pulling her closer to him.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I you, my wolf," she responded with a smile. She leaned against him as he kissed her. Cassana loved kissing Robb. Whenever they did, it felt like the war and it's outcome did not matter as long as they had each other.

She pulled away quickly when she realized he had no plan to stop anytime soon. "I can't," she huffed against his lips.

"Why not?" Robb raised an eyebrow as he kissed her neck shortly. "We have the whole morning to ourselves."

"Not exactly," Cassana said with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" Robb asked. He sat back slightly, but kept his hand on her cheek.

"Your mother and I have to go over some of our wedding details," she told him. "And if I'm late, she'll know why."

"So?" Robb smirked. "I think she already knows we've—"

"Mayhap, but if we spend the rest of the morning in bed then I will not be able to stop thinking about you all through the meeting and we will get nothing done," Cassana explained.

"Fine," Robb sighed as he sat back in his chair and gave her a small wave of his hand. "Abandon me."

Cassana laughed shortly as she stood from her chair and placed a hand under his chin, tilting his face up to kiss him. "I love you."

"And I you, my loyal stag," Robb responded without a moment of hesitation. He took her hand in his and placed several kisses atop. She gave his hand a small squeeze before walking away and his hand slid out from hers. He sighed as the door closed behind her.

* * *

Cassana tried to get through the meeting with Lady Stark as quickly as she could, knowing that Robb would possibly still be in his room if they finished early. With the help of Lady Catelyn they managed to decide upon several things for the ceremony including the dress that Cassana would wear, the number of people who would be allowed to attend, and how the hall would be decorated for the feast. Cassana had been taught how to plan these types of gatherings, but she had never actually put her knowledge to the test and she was thankful for Lady Stark's help.

The young Baratheon had gotten halfway to Robb's room when she nearly ran into Sansa and Robb's direwolf Grey Wind. Cassana dropped to her knees before the large wolf and he seemed to recognize her immediately. She began scratching the top of his head when he nudged her hand.

"Are you headed outside?" Cassana asked her to-be sister.

"Yes," Sansa nodded as Grey Wind continued to enjoy his petting. "I thought he would like some fresh air."

"He needs some space to run around," Cassana agreed with a smile. She stood and took in the sight of the auburn-haired Stark girl. She had abandoned the southern clothing she had been wearing during her rescue weeks ago and had begun to dress in the less vibrant clothing of the North.

Sansa noticed where Cassana's attention seemed to be. "I used to pray that I could wear the nice southern clothes with all the colors and embroidery. Now, I know better."

Cassana gave Sansa a compassionate glance. "When I was really young I used to pray often that I would be able to fight beside one of my cousins in a war. I was convinced that I could become the best warrior in the Seven Kingdoms. Now that I have seen what a real war looks like, I know better."

"I guess everyone has had foolish dreams once," Sansa shrugged.

Cassana shook her head. "It's not foolish to dream for things that you want. It is foolish to not appreciate what you already do have."

"Are you going to win back Winterfell?" Sansa asked.

"I am going to do everything I can to win it back," Cassana responded without hesitation, "and I am going to try my hardest to avenge the family that you've lost."

"Thank you," Sansa sniffled quietly as tears filled her blue eyes. Cassana nodded and pulled the younger girl into a hug. She closed her eyes as she started to brush back some of Sansa's hair behind her ear. "I always wanted an older sister."

Cassana pulled back from her a little and smiled at her. "I always wanted a sister. I guess we're both getting something we prayed for."

"Finally," Sansa sighed as she leaned against Cassana again and the older girl could not hold back her smile.

* * *

Robb sighed as Cassana rolled off him and came to lie beside him. She pressed her lips together as she traced the grooves of his chest with her finger. She smiled when he placed his hand on top of hers and brought it to his lips and kissed it several times. Cassana rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him.

"After tonight we'll officially be man and wife," she told him.

"House Stark and House Baratheon finally united," Robb murmured.

"What are you thinking about?" Cassana asked when she saw his gaze wander around the room.

"Winterfell," Robb responded. "For a while I thought that after the war I would be able to return home, but now we'll be living in King's Landing if we win."

"Yes," Cassana nodded.

"I always wanted to raise my children in Winterfell," Robb sighed.

"I always wanted to raise my children in Storm's End," Cassana said quietly. "We will find a way to make King's Landing our home—our Winterfell and Storm's End."

"Are you nervous about tonight?"

"I'm not nervous about the wedding," Cassana paused, "I'm nervous about what will come after."

Robb met her gaze. "Because of the dream?"

"No," Cassana responded as she sat up. "The dream makes it more real, but even before it started I just kept getting this feeling that something really bad is about to happen and there will be nothing we can do to stop it."

"And that is all it is; a feeling," Robb said. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect you and our families."

"And who will protect you?"

"I think you're pretty handy with that bow and arrow of yours," Robb winked as he ran a hand down her bare back. Cassana cocked an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at him. "And if that fails then we have a whole army at our backs, willing to protect us no matter the cost."

"I've just realized something," Cassana announced as she lay back against Robb.

"And what is that?" Robb raised an eyebrow.

"Our children will inherit Storm's End and Winterfell," Cassana said as she smiled lightly. "Prince Eddard Stark-Baratheon."

"How about Princess Raelinn Stark-Baratheon?" Robb asked.

Cassana hesitated. "My mother could be a traitor. If so, she does not deserve to have my child names after her. Besides, I am hoping to give you at least one son."

"I will love you and I will love our children, no matter if they are all boys or all girls," Robb told his betrothed.

Cassana took a deep breath as she relaxed against him. She had begun to think about having children even before she realized that the boy in the dream might have been her son. The young Baratheon knew she wanted to have more than one child so they would never be alone. She wanted to teach her daughters archery and she wanted to tell her sons of her cousins and Robb's father who died trying to do what they thought was best for the kingdom. Above all else, she was certain that she would never abandon her children.

Cassana looked over at the door when she heard a loud knock. She gave a Robb a short shrug before pulling the blankets over her head. She heard Robb clear his throat before allowing whoever it was to enter. She knew that the person most likely already knew she was in there, but she did not need her men seeing her half naked.

"Enter," Robb called out and the door swung open.

"Pray pardons, Your Grace, but Lady Stark has requested that Queen Cassana begin her preparation for the ceremony," the man said and Cassana sighed as she pulled the blankets down to her chin.

"Tell her I will be there in a moment, please," she told the guard with a small smile. He gave a short bow before leaving Robb's bedchambers. She turned to Robb once the door shut behind the guard. "Is your grandfather going to be able to attend the ceremony?"

"My mother said that he would be there," Robb said as Cassana slipped out of the bed and put on her dress as quickly as she could. "He only has a few days so she wants him to see at least one of his grandchildren wedded."

"Oh," Cassana sighed as she turned back to Robb. "I forgot to tell you that Willem and Waldron are going to be giving me away."

"They are the closest think you have to family here," he agreed with a nod of his head. Cassana smiled and leaned over the side of the bed to kiss Robb.

"They are," she said. She started towards out of the room, but paused in the doorway. "The next time I see you we will be getting married."

"I love you," Robb smiled.

"And I you," Cassana responded and left to prepare for the ceremony that would mark the beginning of her hopefully long life with Robb.

* * *

The ceremony and the feast that followed did not last as long as Cassana had expected. She had been wedded and bedded before the sun had fully set. She was thankful that Robb had opted out of doing the formal bedding ceremony; the idea of having random men and women undressing the both of them did not appeal to her one bit.

"What are you thinking about?" Robb asked as he looked down at her.

"Lord Frey is expecting us in a few days," Cassana paused. "He will not be happy that we are keeping him waiting."

"We told him that we would get there as soon as we could," Robb told her.

"And what if that's not soon enough for him?"

"One of his daughters is marrying the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and one of his sons will be marrying the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms," Robb explained. "These are the best marriage proposals his family has ever had. He can wait a few extra days while we wait for my grandfather to pass."

Cassana nodded despite feeling that Robb was wrong.

* * *

 **Elsewhere…**

"It has been ten days since we left Storm's End," Aegon paused as he continued to pace in front of his parents. "Ten days and we are just sitting here doing nothing."

"We are waiting to see if Cassana is still at Casterly Rock or if she has moved on to Riverrun," his father responded.

"We could have rolled through her forces two days ago and seen for ourselves if she was there," Aegon looked at the older man. "We still could."

"She will not be able to trust us if we tell her we are on her side and then start killing her men," Raelinn told her son.

"You killed her cousin!" Aegon shouted. "You killed that girl and now you're worried about Cassana trusting you?!"

"Cassana will never find out it was us," Orion said challengingly.

"We only have her best interest in mind, Aegon," Raelinn assured him. "Everything we did—everything we are going to do will be justified in the end when you and Cassana are sitting side by side ruling this kingdom."

"My grandfather killed thousands of innocent people when he was king," Aegon said as he sat down on the opposite side of the table of his parents. "I want to be a different kind of king—a better king. And killing innocent little girls does not make for a good king."

"We may have been the ones to order the assassination, but you never objected, Aegon," his father responded.

"And what if I had objected? What would you have done if I had told you that I did not want Shireen Baratheon dead?" Aegon asked both of his parents.

"We would have done it anyways," Raelinn retorted quickly. "We know what needs to be done for us to conquer this kingdom and we are willing to do it, no matter the costs."

"And there is the problem," Aegon sighed. "You never do not want the Iron Throne for me. You want it for yourselves."

"That is not true," his mother said. "Everything we have done was for you and you know that."

"How can I believe that you want me to be your king when you won't even listen to what I want?"

"What can we do to convince you?" Orion asked quietly. Aegon could see that his father was getting impatient, but he would not let them control this confrontation.

"Tell me the truth," Aegon said as he squared his shoulders.

"The truth about what?" Raelinn questioned.

"Before we left for Westeros I heard you two talking about Cassana and Shireen," he responded. "If Cassana is not your daughter, then whose is she?"

"That matter does not concern you," Orion bellowed as he stood from the table suddenly. Aegon pressed his lips together as his father began to pace the room, his Baratheon temper just beginning to show. The Targaryen heir had grown used to his father's temperament over the years, but a part of him still feared the taller, stronger man.

"I am you king. You should start acting like it," Aegon told him. "I should know about everything that has to do with me getting to the throne."

Raelinn exchanged a telling glance with her husband and sighed when the man nodded. She took a deep breath and sat back in her seat. "Does the name Brandon Stark ring any bells?"

"He was the eldest son of Rickard Stark and the heir of Winterfell and the North. Brandon and his father were murdered by my grandfather just before the start of Robert's Rebellion," Aegon said after remembering what he had learned about House Stark.

"What about the name Ashara Dayne?" Raelinn continued.

Aegon shut his eyes for a moment as he searched his brain. "She was the sister of Ser Arthur Dayne, the famous member of the Kingsguard."

"Brandon and Ashara met at the Tourney at Harrenhal many years ago and began a secret affair. Brandon was already promised to Catelyn Tully of Riverrun, but he did not love her," Raelinn paused as memories she had hid away emerged for the first time in years. "Ashara and I were ladies-in-waiting to your mother, Princess Elia Martell. We were both at King's Landing when Brandon came to challenge Rhaegar for taking his sister. They met just outside of the city the day prior and Ashara told him she was pregnant with his child. It was a lie, but Brandon believed her and they married and consummated it that night. Brandon was wild and reckless, but he did not want the woman he loved raising his child as a bastard."

"And then Ashara ended up pregnant," Aegon said when he realized where the discussion was headed. His mother nodded.

"We both did, but when the time came, hers lived and mine did not," Raelinn continued. "Ashara survived the delivery at Starfall, but she was severely weakened by it. She managed to hold onto her life until Eddard Stark returned her brother's body and their family's ancestral sword."

"What about the boy?" Aegon asked before his mother could continue.

"What boy?" Orion retorted.

"I heard you talking about a boy. You said it was already too late for him, but not for Cassana," Aegon clarified as he looked between his parents. "Who's the boy?"

Raelinn pursed her lips into a taught line as she sighed heavily. "Ashara gave birth to twins; a boy that she named after her brother Arthur and a girl she named after herself because she knew she was going to die. We renamed the girl Cassana, after my good friend and the mother of our nephews. We let Eddard Stark rename the boy after the man who had fostered him in his youth and became a second father to him, Jon Arryn."

"The bastard of Winterfell is Cassana's twin brother?" Aegon stood from his seat. "Why have you been withholding this information from me?"

"Jon Snow is at the Wall. He took the vow of the Night's Watch so even if we wanted to help him get the lands and titles that are owed to him we could not. He is to serve there until his death," Orion explained adamantly.

"Why couldn't you take both of them back to King's Landing?"

"We were going to, but someone had let it slip that I had given birth to a girl," Raelinn told him.

"We could not return to King's Landing with twins when our family thought we were only bringing back a girl," Orion said.

"Then why did you let Jon be raised as a bastard and Cassana as a lady?" Aegon asked as he fell back into his chair.

"Ned Stark knew we were going to leave to follow you across the Narrow Sea, making us traitors. I was the only one to witness Ashara and Brandon's secret wedding, but no one here would ever be able to believe a traitor. If Lord Stark returned to Winterfell and told his wife that Jon was the son of his brother and Ashara Dayne, he still would have been declared a bastard just like he would have if he stayed at Starfall. House Dayne agreed to keep the truth about Jon and Cassana's parentage a secret in return for Ned Stark removing Ashara's son from the line of inheritance," Raelinn said. Aegon did not have to question whether or not she was telling the truth. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice that she was not lying.

"If Jon would have just endured a few more years of being a bastard we could have revealed the truth and he would have been given everything he was owed," Orion sighed as he rubbed his chin. "But we cannot change the past."

"If Cassana learns of these secrets on her own, she will never forgive or trust us," Aegon told his parents.

"That is why she can never know," Orion Baratheon said. Aegon looked at his father and knew he was no making a request of his son; he was giving him a command.

"No," Aegon scoffed. "That is why we should tell her."

"We need Cassana to continue thinking she is a Baratheon," Raelinn reminded him quickly.

"My claim is already as strong as it needs to be," Aegon responded. "But if you want me to marry her then I cannot start our relationship with a pile of lies that I will have to keep for the rest of my life."

"You would ruin so much that we have worked for," his mother told him, a look of disappointment in her eyes that Aegon had never seen before.

"If what you have worked so hard for could be destroyed just because of a few lies then maybe I don't deserve it. It will be my choice and my choice alone to tell Cassana the truth, but first we have to find her."

Raelinn stood from her seat as her son rose from his. "Aegon, there is one more thing that we have kept a secret for too long and it is about time you knew."

"What?" Aegon asked halfheartedly.

"Lord Eddard did not come to Starfall with just Ser Arthur's body and his sword," his mother started. "He also brought a child—the daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark."

Aegon's mouth fell open slightly as he digested his mother's words. "That cannot be. If I had a sibling—a sister out there you would have told me long before this. Right?" He clenched his fists as his parents looked at each other. "Right?!"

"We had to keep her safe, Aegon," his mother said, her voice hushed.

He pursed his lips into a taught line as he rubbed his eyes frustratingly. "Where is she? Who is she?"

"Right now she is in Essos," Orion responded.

"Who is she?" Aegon repeated as he stared at his parents.

"Daenerys Targaryen, the First of her Name. The Mother of Dragons," Raelinn said after a moment of silence passed between them.

"No," he refuted. "She is the daughter of King Aerys and Queen Rhaella. She was born on Dragonstone in the midst of a great storm. She is my aunt."

"She's your half-sister, Aegon," his mother said, "and a bastard. Queen Rhaella's daughter died with her, but we replaced it with Daenerys before any of the Targaryen loyalists could discover the truth. Your uncle Viserys knew, but even at his young age he knew that agreeing to accept her as his sister would only strengthen his own claim for the throne."

Aegon tried to find the words to respond to his mother, but nothing came. He inhaled deeply as an older man entered the tent. The young Targaryen heir narrowed his eyes when he saw a letter in the man's hand.

"Pardons, my lord, my lady, Your Grace," the man started, "but we've just shot down a raven flying in the direction of King's Landing."

"Give it here," Aegon commanded and the scroll was placed in his hand. "Leave us."

Once the man was gone Aegon opened the letter and read it's contents. He looked up at his parents, utterly confused by the encrypted message before handing it to his mother. He knew something was wrong when she shuddered.

"Seven hells," she murmured as she passed the letter to Orion.

"What? What did it mean?"

"The Freys are going to turn on Cassana and her army at the Lord Edmure's wedding," Orion said as he crumpled the paper in his large fist. "We must ride straight for the Twins."

"Can we send a letter to Riverrun to warn them?" Aegon asked.

"We can try, but if they have already left then it might be too late," Raelinn responded as she started towards the door. "If we ride day and night we may be able to either catch up with Cassana's army or reach the Twins before the wedding."

"Let us pray that she has not left Riverrun yet," Orion sighed.

"Aegon, there is something else the letter said. _The Stag and her mate will be hunted and served at the feast_ ," Raelinn turned to look at her son as she quoted the letter. "I think Cassana and Robb Stark have married."

Aegon nodded, already knowing it was more than likely that Cassana had chosen to wed the man she loved. "We should still go. It would not be right to let them ride into a slaughter."

His parents nodded and he thought he could see them even heartened at the thought of rescuing their adopted daughter. Aegon knew going after the Baratheon in order to pursue a marriage was a practically useless endeavor. He was only agreed to the possible alliance for his parents and everything else he's done was to get him closer to the Iron Throne, but after learning what was in store for Cassana he decided he wanted to try to save her _and_ Robb Stark because it was the noble thing to do, not because it increased his chances of becoming king.

Aegon sighed heavily when heard his father whisper something to his mother as they exited the room.

"Maybe we will get lucky and the Freys will kill the wolf for us."

 **Rhaegar + Lyanna = Daenerys  
** **Brandon + Ashara = Cassana and Jon  
** **Cassana's having more bizarre dreams…  
** **The Freys are turncoats! Will the Boltons defend their king and queen?  
** **Aegon is feeling a little guilty and is trying to be all noble.  
** **What will happen next?**

 **I tried to answer many of the questions I knew that would come with these several large reveals about all of our lovelies but if there is any confusion feel free to ask questions in a review and I will try to fill in any gaps. And yes, this does mean that Cass and Robb are cousins, but tons of people ship Jon/Dany or Aegon/Dany even though many theories state they're aunt/nephew or siblings and let's not forget Tywin married his cousin and the Targ traditions. The next chapter will cover Edmure's wedding so stay tuned. Please review, follow, or favorite this story. All of those are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for reading!**

 **Question of the Day:** Which reveal did you like more: Rhaegar and Lyanna = Daenerys or Brandon and Ashara = Cass and Jon? Why?


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Impetus**

Seated in the great hall of the twins, Cassana remained sober and watchful of her host and his men. She had been reminded of her dream when she first entered the room where the Freys were holding the feast in celebration of Lord Edmure and Lady Rosalin's wedding. As she looked at the sparsely decorated walls and the stone floor, segments of her dream distracted her. She could not refrain herself from staring at the spot where she had found Robb lying dead and the place where Lord Frey and Lord Bolton had fallen after she killed them. Cassana was no longer certain that her dream was just that.

Robb had been assertive in his attempt to convince her that they would be safe, especially after Lord Frey invoked the guest rights. Most people knew that breaking the guest right would be to break a sacred covenant that was believed to invoke the wrath of the gods both old and new. Robb was confident that Lord Frey was fearful enough of the gods to prevent him from breaking his vow, but Cassana knew that Lord Frey would not give a damn about the gods' wrath if his pockets were filled with gold.

The young Baratheon decided to tell Robb that she was no longer worried about attending the wedding, but she did not tell him about the daggers she hid beneath her dress. The two weapons would not do much to protect her or Robb from the whole Frey army; Cassana was only trying to give them a fighting chance—if it came to a fight. She knew there was no way to predict what could happen at the wedding, but she decided it was safer to be wary of the Freys than trustful of them. She had also decided to inform Willem, Waldron, and Davos of her dream and her worries. They were as convinced as Robb, but they obeyed her commands with their natural loyalty. The three knights agreed to remain sober the entire night and to hide additional weapons under their cloaks. Cassana was glad she had insisted that Sansa remain at Riverrun while they ventured north to the Twins. If the Freys did attack Cassana and her army and did so successfully, at least she knew the last known living Stark would be safe. She owed Robb's family that much.

It was a lively affair, Cassana noted. The music that filled the hall was meant to lift the spirits of those within and that it did. Cassana pursed her pink lips together when she looked around and saw that her men were enjoying the generosity of Lord Frey by attempting to drink themselves into a stupor. She looked back at Lord Walder when the music ceased unexpectedly. The elderly man sat up in his chair once everyone's attention was focused on him. He delved into a short yet somewhat improper speech before getting Robb's approval that it was indeed time for the bedding ceremony. Cassana watched from her seat as Lord Edmure and Lady Rosalin were whisked away by giggling women and eager men. The young Baratheon suddenly felt very assured in her decision to skip the ceremony after her own wedding.

Cassana took a deep breath as she sat back in her seat, a wave of nausea washing over her suddenly. She hurriedly took a bite of the food on her plate when she realized her nerves had prevented her from eating anything all day. She forced a smile as Robb looked over his shoulder at her. She bit her lip nervously when she saw that her husband was in the midst of a conversation with his mother and Lord Bolton. The young Baratheon had always been slightly frightened of the older man, but she did everything she could to leave it unseen. Lord Bolton was dangerous and she knew that before she had the dream. After the dreams began, her caution escalated to a point where she avoided him at all costs. The wedding was the first time she had been in the same room as him in over a week.

Another heavy sigh escaped from her mouth and she screwed her eyes shut for a moment. She could feel the threat of vomiting in the depths of her stomach, but she managed to keep it there. Cassana pressed a hand against her temple, placing her elbow on the armrest of her seat. She opened her eyes when she heard a chair skid against the floor nearby. She smiled warmly when she saw Catelyn Stark seated closely beside her. While the older woman was wary of Robb's new wife, she had been nothing but kind to her and Cassana was grateful for it.

"Are you feeling ill, Your Grace?" Catelyn wondered with a look of sympathy in her Tully eyes.

"Please, call me Cassana," she offered with a small smile. "And I am only a little nauseous. It will pass."

Lady Stark's gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, her lips spreading into a small tight smile. "When was the last time you bled?"

Cassana hesitated. She knew what Catelyn was thinking, but she had to ask herself if it would even be possible. She and Robb _had_ been sharing their bed for a few weeks now and she had felt his seed inside her each time. She swallowed before looking Lady Stark in the eye. "It has been longer than a month, I believe."

"You may be with child, Cassana," Catelyn Stark insisted, a smirk pulling her lips across her face. Cassana gave a quiet laugh of delight. Seeing the boy in her dream had made her yearn for a child, but she thought it would take months for her womb to be filled with one. Lady Stark took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "You should tell Robb."

The young Baratheon sighed as she looked over her shoulder at her husband. He was still speaking with Roose Bolton, but now several other people she recognized as northerners had joined them and they had succumbed to a fit of heavy laughter. She placed a hand over her stomach and smiled weakly before turning back to Catelyn. "I may wait until I am certain I am carrying his child. He needs not to lose focus at a time like this."

"What do you mean?" Catelyn queried, furrowing her brows.

"We may have more important things to worry about in the near future," Cassana admitted. Catelyn looked perplexed by her words, but she nodded anyway.

Both women turned to look at the back of the hall when they heard a roar of laughter; the last of the people participating in the bedding were leaving the room. Cassana's face fell when she saw Black Walder close and bar the doors.

"The doors," Catelyn murmured and Cassana knew she took the action for what it was.

At the same moment, the hall filled with music once again. Cassana recognized this song as the Rains of Castamere. She pressed her lips into a taught line as she reached down to her ankle. She pulled up the hem of her dress and pulled out the dagger strapped to her leg. Cassana held it close to her as she raised it up just enough for Catelyn to see. The older woman gave her a concerned look, but Cassana took her hand and placed the weapon into it.

"Please," Cassana implored. "For your safety."

"Cassana," Catelyn warned.

"You said it yourself once; Walder Frey is dangerous. Please, take it," she insisted, closing Catelyn's fingers around the handle and pushing it towards her. Lady Stark did not respond, but gave a small nod of her head. The music ceased abruptly, causing both of the southerners to look at the front of the hall. Cassana swallowed hard when she saw Lord Frey had been the one to call an end to the music and chatter.

"I should return to my seat," Catelyn said as she scooted back her chair. She stood slowly, but paused to place a soft kiss on top of Cassana's head. "Be safe, my daughter."

Cassana looked up at Lady Stark and nodded. "And you."

While everyone was stumbling their way back to their seats Cassana called out to Robb as quietly as she could manage. He looked at her and smiled, but before he could start towards her Lord Frey addressed them both.

"Your Grace," the elderly man grumbled as he stood from his seat, "I feel I have been remise in my duties. I've given you all meats and wine and music, but I haven't shown you the hospitality you deserve. The Prince of the North has married our future queen regent and I owe you a wedding gift."

"Robb!" Catelyn's voice rang through the hall and Cassana turned to look at the woman.

A pain unlike anything Cassana had ever experienced spread through her stomach suddenly, making her scream in agony. She watched as the knife was pulled out to slice through her again when it suddenly fell away from her. Cassana grit her teeth as another pain-fueled cry escaped her lips. She pressed her hand over the bloodied wound as her gaze landed on Robb. She sobbed when she saw he had arrows sticking out of him just like in the dream. Robb fell to his knees as the arrows kept flying at him and Cassana tried to get to her feet, but she could not lift herself from the chair.

"Cassana!"

She turned to see Davos, Willem, and Waldron fighting a large group of men right behind her. She knew they were to thank for preventing her murder.

"Under the table!" Davos shouted and Cassana fell from her chair voluntarily. She whimpered in pain as she dragged herself under the long table.

The pain searing through her should have been crippling, but when she looked at her wounded husband she forced herself to try to do something—anything to help him. Cassana grimaced as she pulled the dagger from her other ankle and held it close to her chest. She began to move from her spot under the table, but she had to stop because of the pain. She tightened her grip on the dagger as she pounded her fist against the floor, groaning tearfully.

Cassana pursed her lips tightly and looked out from beneath the table only to see that the massacre was still ongoing. She placed a hand over her mouth as a heavy sob rocked her body. The men she had led here—the men who had trusted her to lead them were being slaughtered before her very eyes and she was the only one to blame.

 _I could have stopped this,_ she thought angrily.

She turned her attention back to Robb, who was already looking at her. She could see that his wounds would kill him if he did not receive help. The young Baratheon began pulling herself towards her husband, ignoring the intensified pain. Cassana knew she would die sooner if she exposed herself to the traitors, but she needed to be by Robb's side when he died.

"I am right here," she cried as she leaned over Robb. She grabbed his face softly with her bloodied hands, caressing his cheek. He smiled at her, placing one of his hands over hers and giving it a loving squeeze.

"I love you," he declared softly and Cassana nodded fervently.

"And I you, my young wolf," she sobbed.

Cassana screamed when someone grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked her to her feet. She struggled against her captor best she could, but with every movement she could feel her strength flooding from her. Her knees buckled slightly as a knife was pressed to her neck.

"The King of the North arises," Lord Frey snickered. Cassana looked to where Robb was just lying. She smiled sadly and a small sob tumbled from her mouth when she saw him struggling to get to his feet. When he tried to step towards her, she felt the dagger press against her neck until it cut her shallowly.

"Lord Walder, enough!" Catelyn thundered. Cassana turned to see Robb's mother holding the dagger she had given to her to the neck of the young Lady Frey. "Let it end! Please! He is my son—my first son! Let them go and I swear we will forget this! I swear this by the old gods and the new; we will take no vengeance."

"You already swore me one oath right here in my castle. You swore by all the gods your son would marry my daughter!" Lord Frey hissed.

"We are sorry that we broke that vow, Lord Walder," Cassana opined, turning herself to face the Frey even though it made the dagger cut into her neck deeper. "But instead of having a daughter that is the Queen of the north you will have a son that will be the King of the Seven Kingdoms!"

"You cannot offer someone's hand in marriage when they are already dead," Walder Frey heckled, smirking.

"Shireen is living safely in the Free Cities," Cassana retorted quickly. "And we will bring her back home once it is safe and then she will marry your son and ascend to the throne."

"Lies!" Lord Walder barked. "She is dead!"

"No! I would not lie about this, Lord Walder!" Cassana roared. She wanted to approach the man, but the knife being held to her neck prevented it.

"When was the last time you heard from your little cousin?" The older man asked with a sly smile. "It's been a few weeks, has it not? I'm sure that has worried you before this, but you ignored it so you could get what you needed; our alliance."

"No," Cassana snarled. "Shireen's alive."

"Give it to her," Lord Walder gestured to one of his sons. The man pulled a bundle out from under the table his father was seated at and walked towards Cassana. He smirked as he opened the package and showed her what was inside.

"No!" Cassana whimpered once she laid eyes on the items in front of her. Sitting in the cloth was the beautifully carved stag that Davos had gifted to Shireen before they parted ways in Braavos. It was covered in blood with a lock of brown hair wrapped around it. The dagger that was included in the bundle was also tinted crimson. Cassana knew the things she was looking at were all that was left of Shireen; a stag figurine covered in her blood and lock of her hair. _Shireen,_ who was beautiful despite her scars, who'd never misjudged another person in her life, who'd always loved with her entire heart, who had become just another innocent fatality in the war.

"What did you do?!" Cassana yelled at the Frey lord, struggling against the man who held her in her spot. "What did you do?!"

"I did not do a thing, _Your Grace_ ," Lord Frey snorted.

"How did you get these?!" Cassana raged.

"It arrived a week ago with a letter informing us of our queen's demise."

Suddenly everything welled up inside of Cassana; all the grief, the guilt, the purest kind of pain she had ever felt. Everything came flooding through her instantaneously. She tried to take a deep breath, but she choked it down as a sob erupted in her throat instead. Dozens of her loyal men were lying around her dead, Robb was barely clinging onto life, and Shireen, her only remaining blood relative, had been murdered. Standing there in the great hall with all the carnage and death around her she did not feel like the next in line for the throne; she felt absolutely powerless and vulnerable. She attempted to hold up the emotional walls she had built when she was a child. She tried to be strong in the last moments of her life, but the agonizing pain overwhelmed her. Cassana slipped from her captor's arms, collapsing onto the floor as she let out a long cry that silenced the room and made almost _every_ man in the room wince with a pang of sympathy.

Cassana had never been one to believe in ghosts, but she would have cut off her own hand to glimpse one of Shireen. Instead of a ghost all she found—all she felt was the hole in her life where Shireen had once been.

She was snapped out of her sorrowful daze when Robb fell to his knees in front of her and took her face in his hands. He tried to get her to look at him, but she could barely force herself to.

"I am so sorry," Cassana stammered quietly, but Robb shook his head and told her the responsibility for what had happened did not belong to her.

"I love you," Robb promised as he stroked her cheek affectionately.

"I love you too," she cried, the tears continuing to roll down her face.

"Kill them," she heard Lord Walder command.

Cassana knew it would be useless to fight for her life. She lifted her gaze as Roose Bolton stepped up behind Robb. The older man pulled her husband to his feet as the Frey did the same to her. She jerked away from him and stumbled backwards so she could hold Robb's hand. They looked at each other for a long moment before nodding.

Cassana turned to Walder Frey with a forlorn, but accepting look. "Please, let me die beside my husband."

The elderly lord thought for a while before nodding once. Cassana squeezed Robb's hand as both Lord Bolton and the Frey raised their weapons.

"The Lannisters send their regards," Roose Bolton hinted and Cassana shut her eyes, accepting that the time for her to die had come.

But the pain of the dagger running through her heart never came. Instead she heard a sound all too familiar to her; two arrows flying through the air. Cassana opened her eyes as the Frey standing in front of her fell to the floor with an arrow sticking out of the middle of his throat. She immediately turned to see Robb lying on the floor beside a beheaded Roose Bolton. The young Baratheon fell to her knees and wrapped her hand around the dagger that was only halfway in his chest. She pulled it out quickly, ignoring the sound of swords clashing and shouts going on around her. Cassana tore off a piece of her dress and pressed it hard over Robb's wound. She forced the thought that he might already be dead out of her head and rested her hand against his cheek, slapping him lightly. She repeated the action several times until Robb stirred.

"Is he alive?"

Cassana looked up to see a young man with silver hair and beautiful violet eyes. She wiped her tear-streaked face with her bloodied hand and shook her head as she dropped her gaze back to her husband. "Yes. But he—he's hurt bad."

The man dropped his blood-coated longsword on the floor and lowered himself to his knees beside Robb. He pressed a few fingers to his neck, waiting a few second before nodding. "His heart is still beating, but he has lost a lot of blood. We have to get him—and you to a maester."

"Who are you? Why should I trust you?" Cassana wondered as she held onto Robb's hand.

"My name is Aegon Targaryen," the man paused, "and I just saved your life."

Cassana eyes widened at the silver-haired man once his name left his lips. She wanted to reject the idea that this man could be a Targaryen, but she knew they did not have the time to argue over such things. She looked around the room once. She saw that most of the Freys who had killed her men were dead and Lord Walder was being held at knife-point by Davos.

She inhaled sharply when she saw Catelyn Stark lying on the floor, her throat slit open. Cassana desperately wanted to bring Lady Stark back to Riverrun for her daughter's sake. She knew there was nothing worse for young woman than growing up without a mother to guide and love her; she never wanted that fate for Sansa.

"Why?" She spoke as she faced the supposed Targaryen.

Aegon looked at her and sighed. "We have a lot to discuss."

 **What did you think? Was this emotional enough? I tried to show how much Shireen really meant to Cassana. I hope I did it justice.**

 **Next chapter coming soon. Please follow or favorite! Reviews are also welcomed and very appreciated.**

 **Question of the day:** If you were Cassana, how would you react to finding out your parents are alive?


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Struggle**

Aegon had no trouble finding the room in which Cassana Baratheon had decided to assemble her audience. That was due to the fact that he had a group of knights escorting him. He was surprised to see that they bore the sigil of the Twins. Aegon assumed all of the men sworn to House Frey would have been executed if not by the Golden Company then by Cassana's army.

He voiced his concerns to the knights.

The eldest of them was the only one who moved to answer, saying that it was the Baratheon queen who had spared them. They continued on after that without a second glance in Aegon's direction. The three men from the Golden Company who were protecting him remained silent behind him.

The Targaryen was satisfied with his decision to make his parents remain in their bedchamber. It was said that Cassana had the skill of knowing people's true nature without even speaking to them like some mind reader. Aegon did not want to risk it.

"The queen has sent her apologies, but she wished for you to enter without formal introduction," one of the knights told him.

"If it pleases the queen, it pleases me," Aegon said with a curt nod.

He did not want to be introduced. He wanted to slip in the back unnoticed and observe Cassana give her judgment. But she knew he was coming so he assumed she'd be awaiting his arrival to start giving out her punishments.

But he stopped short when he entered the dining hall, his eyes settling on the scene in front of him. He knew the hall had been scrubbed clean shortly after the Red Wedding, but there were fresh pools of blood, lone limbs, and bodies without heads lying throughout and at the end of the hall was Cassana.

She was sitting on the edge of the large stone chair that once belonged to Lord Walder Frey. Her dark, wild mane was pinned back on the sides, but a throng of untamed curls was sitting atop her head like a custom-made crown. Cassana's face wore a strangely distant expression as she stared at the floor with her pale lips pinned together. There was pain in her, but from the way held her head, seemed used to pride. She showed no sign of trauma or injury. Aegon noticed the blood on her hands and neck, and her green eyes that appeared darker than humanly possible. Yet she was beautiful, in a sharp and startling way. To anyone else, they would have said she was the perfect depiction of House Baratheon, but Aegon saw her for what she really was; half Dayne, half Stark—a warrior and a wolf through and through.

The men surrounding her did not resemble the brave knights he saw the night of the Red Wedding. Their shoulders were hunched over slightly and their gazes were fixed on areas of the room that were untouched by the bloodbath. Aegon narrowed his eyes at the sight of a direwolf sitting at Cassana's feet. It was smoky grey with yellow eyes and was larger than the Targaryen could have ever imagined possible. He'd heard of the special bond between the beast and his Stark master and that only confused the young man. Shouldn't the animal be by Robb Stark's side? Maybe the direwolf sensed Cassana had Stark blood or it might have felt the need to protect his master's wife and heir.

The last thing Aegon took notice of was the crowd of men in armor standing around the room over the dead bodies, each more bloodied than the next. They did not look ashamed, though. They were proud to do their job and avenge the northerners and southerners who had lost their lives that dreadful night.

That's when Aegon became certain that it was Cassana who had made the decision to put all of the people in the room to the sword. He knew at first sight that they had all been sworn to House Frey, and most likely had been unwilling to swear fealty to House Baratheon. The knights who escorted him to the hall were some of the ones who had been smart enough to change allegiances.

The Targaryen took a deep, calming breath before beginning his trek through the carnage towards Cassana. She did not seem to notice him and his men until they were only a few feet from her.

"Your Grace," he greeted her politely with a stiff bow.

Cassana regarded him with a strange expression, half dreamy, half defiant. At last she said, "Aegon, welcome."

But he did not feel welcomed. Not by her or her men. They watched him with palpable suspicion and animosity. It was as if he'd only been summoned to see what she was capable of. It was a warning, perhaps.

"I pray pardons, Your Grace, but I thought I was being brought here to attend court and witness your judgment being delivered to those who betrayed you," Aegon explained as his violet eyes studied the younger woman. He was watching for something that seemed to be lost; innocence.

" _I beg your pardon,_ " Cassana corrected in monotone. Aegon knew she hadn't meant for it to offend him or embarrass him, but a part of him felt both.

"I apologize for my lack of knowledge on your customs here, but I arrived less than a fortnight ago," Aegon told her in his 'king' voice.

When Cassana neglected to respond, one of her knights answered, "I'm sure there is no need for apologies."

The man and Aegon looked to the queen for confirmation.

Cassana's eyes trailed off and eventually she nodded. It was a weak gesture that would have gone unnoticed if Aegon hadn't been watching her, but a nod nonetheless. Aegon swallowed hard and cleared his throat. For some reason, he felt the need to prove himself to this girl.

"I thought my men could help with delivering your justice, but it appears I have missed the sentencing," Aegon said as he gestured at the nearest body.

Cassana's head turned ever so slightly and her eyes, dark and unrelenting, connected with his. She studied him for a moment, allowing the silence to pass between them until she said, "These men and women could never be trusted in my court."

Aegon's lips thinned as his mind began to turn. Cassana had the instinct that she couldn't trust them, so now they were dead. It was as simple as that for her. The Targaryen knew he would have to tread carefully.

"What about the men who escorted me here?" He probed as politely as he could manage.

"They proved their loyalty to me," Cassana answered and looked away.

Aegon pursed his lips again. The young queen was acting as if he was not fit to have a real conversation with. She kept each of her answers short and lacking in detail. So, why was he even there?

"So be it," Aegon said. "I was hoping we would have a chance to speak privately before you returned to your husband."

"Fine," Cassana murmured. The room was cleared in less than a minute except for Aegon, Cassana, the direwolf, and two men acting as guards for the royals.

"Go on," Cassana commanded, flicking a glance in the Targaryen's direction.

"It is regarding my parents," Aegon started as he folded his hands behind his back.

" _Our_ parents," Cassana corrected coolly. Her eyes were glued to a nearby pool of blood. Beside it was the body of a young man dressed in the armor of the Frey's.

Aegon stared at her in astonishment. "How—how did you—"

"I pieced it together," the young queen answered with a tired shrug of her shoulders.

Aegon squared his shoulders and cleared his throat silently. "I only waited to tell you because I knew you were spending time with your husband."

"You are not to blame, Aegon," Cassana said just loud enough for him to hear. She finally looked up and over at him.

Aegon shifted uncomfortably as the Baratheon's dark eyes scrutinized him insistently. He cleared his throat. "They wish to meet you—to explain their absence."

"Their absence?" Cassana scoffed as she raised her eyebrows. She shifted in her seat slightly, but her eyes remained on Aegon. "They abandoned me when I was an infant without any explanation. Now, they wish to explain why?"

"Yes," Aegon answered after a moment of thought. When Cassana tilted her head, her green eyes boring into his, he continued. "I am only relaying their requests, Your Grace."

Cassana stared at him for a long moment.

"Bring them before me," she commanded eventually. Aegon nodded and bowed before starting to leave the room. Cassana held her head up as she called after him, "Make sure they have their story straight."

Aegon paused, but continued out of the room a moment later. He returned to the hall with his parents.

* * *

A fortnight.

It had been fourteen days and there was still no improvement in Robb's condition.

She stared at her hands in her lap. It was only after scrubbing her skin raw that the blood stains had faded. Cassana took a slow, shaky breath as she raised her eyes to the unmoving figure on the bed in front of her.

Robb Stark.

Her husband.

The love of her life.

Her Young Wolf.

 _He's still alive_ , she reminded herself when his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

The chair creaked when she leaned forward, keeping her eyes on her husband's face as she placed a hand over his own. The young Baratheon squeezed her eyes shut when he failed to react in any way to her touch. _Unresponsive_ is what the Maesters told her. The odds of him ever waking were unlikely, but she refused to give up hope. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully as she wrapped her fingers around Robb's hand.

"Good morning, my love," she said, her voice hoarse and tired. She had woken less than an hour ago and had yet to do anything but dress herself. Cassana dropped her gaze to her stomach and placed her free hand over the growing child inside. She smiled when she felt the smallest movement. It was proof of life—something she needed every once and a while.

She looked up and over at Robb, smiling sadly. "If it's a girl, I think we should name her after your mother, Catelynn Stark, and if it's a boy I wish his name to be Eddard," Cassana said, testing the names on her lips. Her smile faded for a second before she forced it back upon her lips. "Does that sound okay?"

When he remained unresponsive, she continued with a quiet sigh. "Arya and Sansa have been spending a lot of time together, which has been good. They mourn their mother… and they miss you, but they visit everyday, in case you haven't noticed," Cassana told her husband. While they had lost Lady Stark during the massacre, her youngest daughter had been found. Cassana would have paid twice as much to the Hound if he had asked in order to get Robb's sister back. She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "I wish I could know if you liked having us talk to you—if you could even hear us—or if you would just like some peace and quiet." She dropped her head as she laughed silently. "Honestly, the thing I desire the most right now is for you to wake from this deep sleep. I want to hear your voice and feel you respond when I kiss you. I want my wolf to come back to me."

She turned her head away from her husband when she heard Grey Wind move by her feet. The direwolf was already looking up at her. She smiled as she pet his head lovingly. Cassana glanced up at Robb. "Grey Wind misses you too. Possibly more than I do."

"Cassana," Davos greeted with a bow of his head as he entered the room. She hadn't heard his knocking.

"Davos," Cassana said, smiling wide. She stood from her seat. Grey Wind rose with her and kept to her side as she reached the older man. When she got close enough, she wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the urge to cry, knowing she could only allow herself to show that kind of weakness to the people she trusted the most—to her family. Even before the wedding, she'd thought of Davos as family.

"Oh, my dear child," he said quietly as he smoothed a few stray strands of hair. Cassana would have been insulted by being called a child by almost anyone, but hearing it com from Davos was comforting above all else.

"He's gone," she murmured tearfully. "Robb—he's not dead, but he's not here either. He's gone."

"No, Cassana," Davos told her. "He's only sleeping. His body needs time to mend itself."

"And how long is that going to take?" Cassana questioned as she pulled back from their embrace enough to look him in the eye. She glanced over her shoulder at her husband. "Every day he remains in that state is another day he's not here with his family. His siblings need him. I need him. Our child needs him."

Davos placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to face him again. "You've shown that you are strong enough to carry on in Robb's stead while he recovers. You got the vengeance your people needed. You did that with no help from any man. You are strong, my dear."

"How?" Cassana asked as her eyes bore into his. "How are you so certain?"

"Because I know you," Davos told her with a confident look in his eyes. "I've seen you grow into a beautiful, strong-willed woman—a woman that does not let her enemies get away unpunished. You are Cassana of House Baratheon and _yours_ is the fury. It is time to show the rest of the rest of the world what I already know."

"I missed you," Cassana said before she spared a glance in her husband's direction. She pressed her lips together as her mind started to turn. She turned back to Davos and tilted her head up in the air slightly. "What news have you brought back? Where are Aegon and our army?"

"They've regained control of the west, and Storm's End is standing strong against the Lannisters," Davos reported in the same formal tone he always used with her cousin. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly.

"What's wrong?"

The older man hesitated.

"What news is there, Davos?" Cassana probed.

"No specific news other than the progress of Aegon's troops, Your Grace, but he told me that he wishes to speak with you the moment he returns."

"Thank you, Ser," she said. The news didn't seem too dire, but she could not pretend to be able to tell the future.

"Has he stirred?" Davos asked as he glanced over her head at Robb.

"No," she answered. She turned her back to Davos and took a moment to take in the sight of her ill husband. "He's barely moved since the wedding."

"He will," Davos stated. "I am certain of this."

"No one can be certain about that," Cassana responded softly. "But I appreciate your optimism, Davos."

"Aegon will be arriving shortly and I think it would be best to have another council," Davos advised after a few moments of silence and Cassana nodded.

"A large council. We've conquered and/or allied with six of the seven kingdoms. It is time we begin planning our attack on the Reach," Cassana told Davos, but kept her gaze locked on her husband. "I'll need all of our advisors and ambassadors to be gathered the second Aegon and his men arrive."

"Of course, Your Grace," Davos said. Cassana granted him his leave before returning to her seat. Grey Wind sat beside her, resting his head in her lap. She ran her hand over his head tiredly as they watched Robb.

"My birth parents have expressed their desire to talk to me again, but I assumed it would be best to wait for Aegon to arrive. After all, he's the one they left me for," Cassana said, pausing as she took a deep breath. "I think they know that they are dealing with a queen rather than their orphan daughter now." Cassana inhaled sharply as a few memories plagued her thoughts. "I'm not proud of what I did, but it had to be done. Those people were not to be trusted, and after what they did… they deserved it. I am not proud that I was the one who gave the sentence, but I do not regret it. Not for a single moment.

"This life isn't romantic or free anymore. There is no path to anything that makes sense. It's just bloody and miserable. We both know it's only going to get worse. All we can do is accept who we are and what we must do to survive. I know who I am and what I must do."

Cassana dropped her gaze to Grey Wind momentarily. Her lips twitched up into a sad smile. The direwolf's yellow eyes met hers as he lifted his head. She ran a hand over his head for a moment before looking back at her husband. Cassana used her free hand to grab a hold of Robb's. It was warm, but there was no reaction when she wrapped her fingers around his hand.

"I am Cassana of House Baratheon, and I will show the rest of the world my fury," Cassana told him.

* * *

Aegon ran a hand through his damp silver hair as he stared down at the map lying on his writing desk. They had manage to conquer the majority of the Seven Kingdoms including the West. There had been a long and grueling battle for Casterly Rock, but in the end they had sent the Lannisters and the Tyrells running back to King's Landing. There had been losses on both side, but it wasn't enough to change the tide of the war. They had also reclaimed the North from the Boltons and the Greyjoys. Theon and Yara Greyjoy were now prisoners at Winterfell. Cassana wanted to wait to pass their judgement until Robb woke, and Aegon agreed. Winterfell was the home of the Starks and only they could have the right to punish the people who tried to take their home from them. Dorn had helped relieve the siege at Storm's End, which allowed a large number of Cassana's forces to rejoin the fight. Since Aegon's existence was revealed, his mother's side of the family had chose to support his nephew and the Baratheon-Stark army. Aegon had allowed Cassana act as the commander of their forces and he had been impressed with her ability to make wise military decisions under the stress she was experiencing.

He knew is admiration for the girl was growing, but he did not embrace it or allow his mind to entertain the idea. Cassana was in love with Robb Stark. She could never come to love another man while the Young Wolf was alive. A part of Aegon hoped the man would die. That would solve quite a few problems for him. But until that or something equally conclusive happened he would bide his time as Prince Aegon—the friend and ally of Cassana Baratheon.

They had agreed to talk about who would sit on the Iron Throne after Robb wakes. Aegon desired to sit on the throne that his ancestors sat on, and he wanted Cassana by his side. He felt that she was worthy enough, but he knew she didn't want that. From what he could tell, she wanted to rule over the North, the Riverlands, and the Stormlands with her husband, but Aegon was not willing to give up that much of his kingdom.

Aegon looked up from the map when he heard a knock at the door. He called for them to enter as he went to retrieve a clean shirt. He turned towards the door and quickly finished dressing when he saw Cassana and Ser Davos Seaworth standing in front of the door. He had heard she lost one of her most trusted knights during the bloodbath the night of the wedding, and his twin brother—who also was one of Cassana's trusted knights—was still in mourning.

Cassana looked as lovely as ever, dressed in all black to show she still mourned the men and friends she lost at the Red Wedding. She didn't look as she did the day after the massacre, but Aegon had yet to see her smile sincerely. Ser Davos looked honorable in his knightly wear.

Aegon cleared his throat before addressing them.

"Your Grace," he greeted with a bow of his head.

"Prince," Cassana said calmly.

"I sent word with Davos that I needed to speak with you privately," Aegon said, his gaze landing on Davos momentarily.

"Please leave us, Davos," Cassana told the older knight. The man hesitated, but eventually bowed and left.

"Thank you," Aegon said.

"Thank _you_ for everything you've done on the battlefield during my husband's absence," Cassana said in response, her tone regal and appreciative.

"We can only win this war together," Aegon told her.

Cassana smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Possibly," she said quietly.

Aegon watched her carefully, biting the inside of his lip, before turning his back to Cassana and walking to his desk. He folded over the map and grabbed the small stack of letters he had brought back with him. Cassana narrowed her green eyes when Aegon held them out to her. She pursed her lips into a thin line as she took them from him.

"Who are these from?" Cassana asked.

"Look at the seal," Aegon ushered. Cassana obeyed and raised an eyebrow.

"House Dayne?" She asked.

"They're testimonies," Aegon explained. Cassana looked up.

"Testimonies of what?"

"Read them," Aegon told her.

Aegon watched as Cassana opened the top letter and began reading. He knew she had gotten to the heart of the testimony when her mouth popped open. She glanced up at Aegon, silently asking _is this real?_ He nodded solemnly and Cassana nodded curtly in response before continuing to read. Aegon watched her for changes in emotion, but her expression remained detached. When she was done with the first letter she ripped open the second and read it without pause or visible emotion. She continued like that until she'd read through the whole pile.

Cassana looked up from the last letter. Her expression was distant as she stared at a spot on the wall. She cleared her throat eventually, blinked, and looked at Aegon.

"My true name is Ashara Stark and parents were Ashara Dayne and Brandon Stark," Cassana stated without emotion.

"Yes," Aegon said.

"And Jon Snow is my twin brother," Cassana noted.

"Yes," Aegon said.

"How long have you known?" Cassana questioned.

"I found out the truth two weeks after I arrived here in Westeros," Aegon answered.

"And you thought it best not to tell me?" She asked, not angrily.

"I thought it would be best to tell you," Aegon paused, "but I wanted to wait until we got to know each other and learned how to trust each other."

"Wise choice," Cassana stated. "What of your parents?"

"They still consider themselves your adoptive parents and wish to have a relationship with you," Aegon answered.

"I think I've already stated that I could never consider them as my parents after what they did," Cassana paused, "and now I have no reason to."

"They gave you their name," Aegon reminded her.

"But then they abandoned me and the promise they made to my mother," Cassana retorted. "And they let my twin brother be raised as a bastard instead of the true heir of the North."

"They thought it would be for the best," Aegon said defensively.

"I understand that you want to defend the people who raised you, but this is my choice," Cassana said.

"So, that's it?" Aegon asked. "You want nothing to do with them?"

"I appreciate what little they did for me, but no, I don't," Cassana answered.

"Are you going to tell your husband the truth?" Aegon asked, a touch of anger lacing his voice.

Cassana stared at him for a moment with an amused smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I will as soon as he wakes."

"What of your army?"

"I will notify them after I talk to my advisors," Cassana said. "At this point, the two choices the Baratheon faction has is to remain our ally or run over to the Lannisters and Tyrells."

"They could attempt to form an army under my foster father's name," Aegon said, concerned. Cassana sighed silently as he watched her.

"They could, but they won't," she said.

"They won't?"

"They know they wouldn't stand a chance against us or the Lannisters on their own," Cassana explained.

Aegon smiled sadly and dropped his gaze to the floor momentarily as he nodded. "That is true."

"I know it is."

Aegon looked up at Cassana. She had taken a seat on the wooden trunk at the end of his bed and was still holding onto the letters that held the proof of her heritage. The room seemed to close in around them. Aegon felt the need to comfort Cassana despite the fact that she was not showing any grief or pain. He knew she must be feeling it. But he disregarded the urge. The young Stark didn't want to be pitied or comforted. That was why she was acting so distant. So, he allowed her to sit there as long as she needed.

Eventually, Cassana stood and tucked the letters into the folds of her dress. The young queen then walked over to Aegon and leaned close to him. He inhaled silently as she placed a kiss against his cheek.

"Thank you for the truth, Aegon," she said sincerity. "You are a true friend."

Aegon nodded stiffly and forced a soft grin. His thoughts trailed back to what his parents had done to Cassana's cousin, Shireen. If he was a true friend to Cassana, then he would tell her the truth. But he worried about the consequences. What would she do to his parents when she learned the truth? Would he be willing to risk his parents' well-being to preserve his relationship with Cassana?

"Cassana," Aegon called out and she faced him. "There's something I need to tell you."

 **Please review or favorite and follow if you haven't already. I would love some feedback on this chapter! Thank you for reading!**

 **Question of the Day:** What did you think of Aegon and Cassana's interactions? And of Aegon revealing everything to Cas?


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **Loss**

The silence was deafening.

Since the moment the words had left Aegon's mouth, Cassana hadn't moved or spoken. But the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. He had just ensured the death of his parents. He would do whatever it took to save them, but he did not regret his decision to tell Cassana the truth. She had the right to know. She needed to know. And Aegon needed to be the one to tell her. Nothing could change that now.

Eventually, Cassana stood from his bed and stared at him for a moment. She didn't look angry or sad as she walked towards him slowly. Aegon clenched his jaw when leaned past him to pick up one of the carved wooden dragons off the map. She also took hold of a stag and wolf figurine. He watched Cassana as she turned the figurines over in her hands, staring at them intently with her green eyes.

"Shireen was a Baratheon," Cassana said. "I am no longer a Baratheon, but I was raised as one. I loved Shireen like I would a sister and her death was said to be brutal. But I am not a Baratheon." She paused for a long moment, inhaling and exhaling silently. "The conspirators that caused Shireen's death will be judged by the people who served House Baratheon. Your parents' fate will be decided by the Baratheons."

"My father is the last living member of House Baratheon. They will never—"

"He was disowned by King Robert and his brothers. It was a formal decree," Cassana explained. "He is no longer a Baratheon."

"Who exactly will make the judgment?" Aegon asked as he tried to process what Cassana just said.

"I will choose a group of men from the Stormlands who have shown the utmost loyalty to me when I reigned as a Baratheon," Cassana decided. She added quickly, "I will make the choice after I announce my true parentage at the war council."

"Do you want me there?" Aegon asked.

"You are one of my commanders," Cassana answered. "You need to be there."

"Of course, Cass—Your Grace," Aegon said as he bowed stiffly.

"Is there anything else you need from me, Cassana?" He asked.

"Prepare your parents for what is in store," Cassana advised. "This will not be easy for them."

"Yes, Your Grace." Aegon nodded.

"You may call me Cassana, if you wish," She told him and walked to the door after putting the wooden figurines back on the map. She faced him again. "And thank you for the truth. I know it wasn't easy."

Cassana left after she spoke, leaving Aegon alone in his room.

* * *

Cassana went straight to her husband.

Robb was still in bed, unmoving, as always. She went straight to his side and took his hand as she sat down. The young Stark pursed her lips as she leaned over the bed, placing her forehead on top of his hand.

"My true name is Ashara Stark and Jon Snow's true name is Arthur Stark. He is my twin brother. Our parents were Ashara Dayne and Brandon Stark. They were married the night before he died and Jon and I were conceived," She told him quietly as the tears finally broke free and ran down her cheeks. "I am your first cousin on your father's side, which makes us family not just in name, but in blood." Cassana turned her head so she could look at Robb's face. "Do you hate me? Are you going to want to annul our marriage?

"I wouldn't blame you if you did, but I will still love you. No matter what, I will always love you. I need you to know that," Cassana cried. She choked back a sob as she continued. "And if you must die, my love, die knowing your life was my life's best part."

A sob erupted from her mouth and Cassana placed a hand over her mouth as she continued to cry against her husband's unmoving hand. Minutes of silence passed, the only thing obscuring it were the soft cries coming from Cassana. In due course, she wiped her face and sat up. She stood from the chair and took a few steps to the front of the bed. The young Stark leaned over Robb and placed a soft kiss against his lips then on his forehead. She kept a hand on the side of his face as she pulled away.

"I love you, my young wolf," Cassana murmured softly.

She walked across the room to the door swiftly. She grabbed the knob and began to pull the—

"And I you, my young stark." Robb's voice reached her ears.

Cassana whipped her head around and laid eyes on her husband. She ran to his bedside, scanning his face quickly. Cassana's face broke out into a wide, uncontrollable grin as her eyes met his. Robb smiled as she looked down at him. She cupped one side of his face and kissed him on the lips softly. He lifted his hand and caressed her tear-stained cheek. Cassana let out a strangled sob that quickly turned into a sad laugh. She pulled up the chair and sat down. Once she was comfortable, sitting as close to Robb as she could, she called out to the guards outside. The young queen ordered them to find the maester, Robb's sisters, and the Blackfish. They were all that remained of their family aside from Jon Snow at the Wall.

Grey Wind was absent as well, but Cassana knew that the direwolf would be found with Sansa and Arya on their daily walk around the castle. Cassana never worried about the girls since they arrived back in Riverrun. The people in the Riverlands would die to protect the Starks since both Lady Catelyn and Lord Edmure Tully were both lost at the Red Wedding. The Stark children were the natural heirs to Riverrun. If Bran and Rickon were truly dead, then the right would pass to Sansa since Robb was to inherit Winterfell. But that was before Cassana learned the truth about herself and her twin brother Jon Snow.

She asked the guards to find the girls and the maester as quickly as they could. The change in Robb's condition gave Cassana hope, but she didn't allow it to go too far. She needed to hear from the maesters that this was not just some short-lived recovery. Cassana wished for Robb to have a full recovery, but she truly wanted him to be alive, even if he was in a bed or walking with a cane for the rest of his life. She would learn to handle anything if it meant he was no longer dying. But she wasn't sure Robb would feel the same way. Some men would rather die than be a cripple.

Her thoughts quickly turned back to Robb when she remembered what he'd called her. Cassana took his hand as she looked at him. "You heard me?"

"Yes," he murmured just above a whisper. His voice was hoarse. Cassana gave him some water. "I heard it all."

"And you don't hate me? You don't want our marriage annulled?" Cassana asked.

"I have loved you since the day I met you, Cassana, and nothing comes close to the way that I need you," Robb said quietly and slowly. "I will continue to love and need you no matter what your name is and who your parents are."

"We're cousins, Robb," Cassana reminded him. "Some people might not approve."

"Cousins marry all the time," Robb argued gently. "And even if people don't approve, it will not matter to me. It will not change the way I feel about you. It won't matter at all."

"It might, eventually."

"Maybe, but we'll face that together," Robb said with a feeble smile.

A long pause ensued until Robb spoke again.

"What happened to my mother?" He asked. "And our men?"

"I'm so sorry, Robb, but your mother—she—" Cassana swallowed hard "—your mother was killed by the Freys. Her brother was murdered as well—in his wedding bed."

"And the Freys?" Robb asked. Cassana could see he was bothered by the news of his mother, but he was trying to hide it by continuing to ask questions.

"Most have been executed or imprisoned. A large faction of the footmen that were not involved in the massacre has come over to our side."

"What of Lord Frey? And Lord Bolton?"

"Lord Bolton was killed before he could kill you and Lord Frey is still being held in the dungeons until we can determine the proper punishment for him," Cassana explained.

"We have to go to the Wall," Robb mumbled as his eyes started to droop.

"I agree," Cassana nodded. "We need to go and tell Jon in person."

"You know that this makes him the heir to Winterfell."

"I know."

"And if my uncle Edmure is truly dead, that means that I am the heir to Riverrun," Robb murmured as his eyes closed.

"I know."

"House Dayne just lost their last Lord and there is no one to take his place except you and Jon," Robb went on.

"I know."

"But since Jon will most likely wish to become the Lord of Winterfell, you will become the Lady of Starfall."

"I know."

"And our children—well, they will inherit both Riverrun and Starfall."

"Robb," Cassana stopped him and grabbed his face gently. His eyes opened and he smiled, causing Cassana to smile in response. "I'm pregnant. I am about two months along."

Robb's face lit up. "Little Ned."

"Or Cat," Cassana smiled.

Robb looked down at her stomach. "You're growing fast. Is there any chance it might be twins?"

Cassana laughed. "There is always a possibility, but don't get your hopes up, my love."

While they waited for the others, they talked about the letters and Aegon and Cassana's adoptive parents. Robb was happy to hear that they had progressed in the war more than anyone could have ever expected. He also requested to meet Aegon and thank him for everything he had done. Cassana was in the middle of reading the second letter when a knock came at the door. She kissed her husband one last time before allowing them all to enter.

Sansa, Arya, and the Blackfish were anxious to see Robb, but they waited until the Maester Vyman finished his examination. Once the man was finished, the others hurried around Robb. Cassana lingered by the door until the maester approached her.

"Your Grace," the maester greeted her formally.

"Maester Vyman," Cassana responded. "What can you tell me of Robb's condition?"

"If I may have your permission to speak freely," the maester started.

"Of course," she told him with a short nod of her head.

The maester hesitated to begin. "While it may seem that he's recovered, it appears to me that he has not."

"What do you mean?" Cassana asked, concerned.

"What I mean to say is that he will never fully recover in some parts of his body," the maester explained.

"What parts?" Cassana asked sternly.

"His right leg, his left knee, and his left wrist and right shoulder will not regain full mobility. There is nothing I can do to repair the damage to his chest, but it might heal on its own over time. His lungs will not, though. He will need to be on bed rest for as long as he needs and then undergo a lot of physical therapy in order to be able to function day to day," the maester said as politely as he could.

"Will he be able to ride a horse? Or carry a sword? Or a child?" Cassana questioned.

"He might be able to do each of those things after a time, but not now."

"But he will live?" Cassana asked.

"He will live," the maester said. "That I am sure of."

"Thank you, Maester Vyman," Cassana said sadly before facing her husband.

Sansa, Arya, and the Blackfish were standing around his bed, and Robb was smiling at them as they took turns speaking to him. Cassana clenched her jaw when she heard Robb tell Arya he wanted to help her train with the sword she had brought to show him. Then they started talking about Robb's future child and how they would be able to teach it how to fight and ride horses when it was old enough.

Cassana pressed her lips together in sorrow as she continued to listen to their hopeful conversation. She knew she would have to be the one to tell Robb what the maester said. Cassana would have to explain that he may never be able to do some of the things he dreamed of doing with his child. The young queen also knew that he was strong enough to carry on despite his injuries, but it would break his heart nonetheless. And if his heart was broken, so was hers.

She pressed a hand over her mouth and hurried out of the room.

* * *

Robb Stark had woken up.

He was on his way to his parents' bedchamber when he heard the news. The entire castle was celebrating and thanking the Gods but all Aegon could think about was Cassana. She had begun to plague his thoughts. And he knew why.

Now that Robb had woken up, there was no reason for Cassana to even think about marrying Aegon.

His parents were furious that he told Cassana the truth about Shireen, but Aegon never considered apologizing. He told them everything they needed to know about Cassana and her decision before leaving them alone to prepare for whatever was in store for them.

The young Targaryen went straight back to his room to prepare to meet Robb Stark for the first time, but stopped short when he saw Cassana sitting on the wooden trunk at the end of his bed. She had been crying.

Cassana tried to force a smile when Aegon entered, but it was a sad attempt. He could see that she was struggling to hold back the tears. Her cheeks were already moist, telling him that she had been waiting for him a while. But he had no idea why.

"Your Gra—" Aegon stopped himself "—I mean Cassana."

She looked up at him determinedly. "Aegon, are you truly my friend?"

Aegon didn't hesitate to answer. "Truly."

"So, I can trust you?" Cassana questioned seriously.

"You can trust me with anything, my queen," Aegon said, nodding reverently.

"Robb's awake," Cassana started, "but he's not okay. He's so far from okay."

"What do you mean?" Aegon asked. He pulled a chair in front of her and sat down.

"His injuries," Cassana clarified. "His injuries are severe."

"But he's alive?" Aegon asked Cassana, hiding his eagerness.

"He's alive, but he'll never be the man he used to be," she answered. She continued after a moment. "The maester told me his diagnosis and I have to be the one to tell him, but I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to tell him that he's… that he's… broken."

Aegon followed his heart and took her hands in his. Her green eyes met his violet ones. "You won't be able to do any more damage than what was already done to him."

Cassana nodded solemnly. "I know, but it will still hurt him and I hate causing him pain."

"Everyone knows that he loves you, Cassana," Aegon told her. "He loves you and there's nothing you could do that would make him stop loving you."

"I know, but I don't want to be the one that has to tell him," Cassana wept. The tears that she was holding back began to fall upon her cheeks. "I wish I didn't have to cause him any more pain."

When Aegon gave her a confused look, she explained, "I told him that his mother and uncle had been murdered."

"That pain was caused by the Freys and their allies," Aegon retorted. "Besides, you must have given him some joy when you told him you are carrying his child."

"He asked if it were twins," Cassana said, laughing sadly.

"Do you think it could be?"

"It's possible. I am getting big pretty fast." She shrugged.

"Well, twins or any number of children would be something to be happy about," Aegon said.

"He will not be able to hold it," said Cassana sorrowfully. "His arms aren't—they will never be strong enough to hold his own child on his own."

Aegon scooted closer to Cassana and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "From what I've heard, Robb is strong. He'll find a way."

Cassana nodded slowly, but Aegon could tell that she did not believe what he said. He slid one of his hands up her arm and transferred his other hand so they were both grasping one of her wrists. She instinctively wrapped that hand around the inside of his wrist.

"It will be okay," Aegon told her comfortingly.

Cassana shook her head as she kept her eyes on their hands. He could hear her sniffle quietly and he could see that she was still crying. "I don't know if it will."

A sob rocked her body and she hunched over more as she let go of his hands to bury her face in her hands. Aegon acted before he could think by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Cassana leaned against him, burrowing her head into the nook of his neck as another sob shook her shoulders.

Aegon held her like that until she stopped crying.

* * *

Aegon Targaryen was not just an ally to Cassana. She thought of him as her closest friend.

There was Davos and Willem, but they were family. Just like the Starks.

But Aegon, he was a true friend and she knew that she could trust him with any secret. And it was true.

Once Cassana had finished crying, she sat up and wiped her face until most of the tears were gone. She relaxed in her seat and met Aegon's eyes. She could tell he pitied her, and while she wouldn't usually be okay with it, she knew she had been in a pitiful situation just moments prior.

"Thank you for this," Cassana sniffled as she gestured to herself.

"It was no trouble," Aegon assured her.

"Yes it was," Cassana nodded. "That's why I appreciate it so much. You're a good friend."

"I am, aren't I?" Aegon teased with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Hilarious," Cassana murmured wearing a smirk.

"If you ever need someone to talk to I will always be here for you," Aegon said.

They sat in a comfortable silence until Cassana said, "I should go."

"Of course," Aegon said, nodding shortly.

"Thank you for all of this," Cassana sniffled as she gestured to herself. She knew she probably looked pretty pathetic.

"It was no trouble," Aegon assured her.

"Yes, it was. That's why I appreciate it so much," Cassana told him.

Aegon sighed silently. "You're welcome."

Cassana wiped her face one last time and stood up. Aegon stood as well and led her to the door.

"Do you want me to escort you back to Robb's room?" Aegon asked as he held onto the doorknob.

"Yes, please," Cassana said, nodding slowly. Aegon offered his arm in response and she looped her arm through it.

Aegon led Cassana out of the room and they started down the hall together. They upheld a conversation on the way to the room. They spoke mostly of innocent things, like parts of their childhood and times before the war. They did this until they reached Robb's room. Cassana let go of Aegon's arm when she saw Davos Seaworth standing by the door.

The older man narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Aegon as Cassana approached him. The young queen hugged the knight and kissed him on the cheek. She asked him why he was there.

"I came to check on you, but you were not in your room or in your husband's," Davos explained.

"I was with Aegon," Cassana told him with a gentle smile.

"Aegon?" Davos questioned.

"He's been a good friend to me and I needed one today," Cassana said. She glanced over her shoulder at Aegon and smiled.

"Of course, Your Grace," Davos nodded. "It is a good thing he was there for you."

"It was," Cassana said as she turned back to Davos. "Now, if you would excuse me. I need to speak to my husband."

Davos bowed his head as he opened the door for her. "His visitors have left and he was resting when I last checked, but I'm sure that he would be okay with being woken by you."

"Thank you, Davos," Cassana told him before looking back at Aegon. She didn't need to say anything. He knew how grateful she was. So, she nodded in his direction and walked into the room.

Aegon stayed in his spot until Cassana was out of view and Davos shut the door.

"Good day, ser," Aegon said to the older knight before turning to leave.

"Aegon," Davos called out. The younger man stopped and faced the knight.

Davos approached him. "You and Cassana have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"We are friends and that is what friends do," Aegon argued politely.

"I see the way you watch her—the way you look at her," Davos told him. "There's no use denying it."

"Denying what?" Aegon questioned.

"Your affections for Queen Cassana," Davos said. "You love her."

Aegon didn't bother denying it. He said a quick farewell and left before Davos could say anything else.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, my wolf," Cassana murmured as Robb thought about what she had just said.

"Do not apologize, my love," Robb said weakly. "This is not your fault."

"I know," Cassana whispered. "But I am still sorry this is happening to you."

"I'm alive," Robb said tiredly. "I get to see you and love you another day. I have a chance of seeing my daughter or son being born. And I get to do so many other things that I wouldn't have if I had died."

"That is very true, my young wolf," Cassana said.

"Help me up," Robb commanded the guards standing by door. "I wish to dance with my wife."

The men obeyed him despite Cassana's objections. They got him standing upright on his own and Cassana took over from there. She stood as close to him as she could and wrapped her arms around him while Robb did the same. She took his hand with the other. There was no music but they began to sway lightly to the imaginary song.

"Are you okay?" Cassana asked.

"We're together. We're happy," Robb said and smiled down at his wife. "I'm perfect."

"I'm talking about your legs," Cassana scolded gently.

"My legs are fine, my love," Robb assured her.

"You're lying," Cassana said, smirking.

"All that matters is that I love you," Robb said, smiling wide. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too, my wolf," Cassana responded sincerely.

"You're a wolf, too, you know," Robb noted aloud. "You're my wolf and I am yours."

"No one knows that yet so must be careful with calling me that."

Robb disregarded her. "Have you gone shooting lately?"

"I've been giving Arya lessons," Cassana answered. "She's become very good."

"She'll be a warrior some day," Robb said with utmost certainty.

"She will," Cassana nodded. "Maybe a knight even."

"She would love that, but others may not," Robb said as he leaned his head against Cassana's and tightened his hold on her. "But we'll command them not to care—to accept her."

"We will," Cassana said, letting out a breathless laugh.

"And you will teach our children to shoot and hunt," he said.

"I will," Cassana said. "They will know how to protect themselves."

"And we'll go riding as a family at least once a week," said Robb.

"We will," Cassana said, smiling to herself. "I promise."

"And we'll name the first boy Eddard, like we wanted, and the first girl Catelynn, but the second boy we'll name Brandon after your father and the second girl we'll name Ashara after your mother," Robb explained in a hushed tone.

"My name is Ashara," Cassana smiled. "My name is not Cassana, it is Ashara."

"Are you going to want to be called that after you come out with the truth?" Robb asked.

"I think I will," she answered.

"Ashara Stark," Robb said, testing the name on his tongue.

"Ashara and Robb Stark," Cassana responded.

"And we'll have to make sure our sons always protect our daughters," Robb said. "My father always told Jon and myself to protect Sansa and Arya."

"I want two girls and three boys, Robb," Cassana admitted.

"That would be perfect," he responded.

"I love you," Cassana sighed.

"And I you, my wolf," Robb said softly.

Cassana smiled to herself. "Is it bad that I believe our children will be the luckiest kids—"

She stopped when Robb went limp in her arms. She was barely strong enough to hold him up on her own so she lowered him to the floor as slowly as she could.

"Robb?" She asked hurriedly as she placed him down. She grasped his head in her hands frantically when she saw blood coming out of his nose. "Robb! Robb, stay awake! Stay awake!"

"Guards! Guards!" The young queen called out and the men came running in. "Find Maester Vyman! Now!"

"Robb, my love, please open your eyes. Please," Cassana said as she began to cry. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him lightly as hot tears spilled down her cheek. "Robb! Robb, you can't leave me! You need to wake up! Wake up so we can be together! Please, wake up!"

She moved her hands back to his face. "Robb, I need you. I need you to help me raise this child. Please! You have to open your eyes!"

Cassana gasped when Robb inhaled sharply and opened his eyes. She leaned over him. "You cannot die. We were given a second chance. We have to take it. Do you hear me? You cannot die."

"I'm sorry, my love, but this is it," Robb said in a low, weak voice.

"No," Cassana exhaled.

"Make sure my child knows that their father loved them," Robb continued before Cassana could get anything else out. "Promise me that you will not give up this cause when I'm gone."

"Please," she whimpered. "Robb don't leave me."

"Cass, promise me," Robb murmured. "Promise me you won't give up."

"I—I won't give up. I won't. I prom—I promise I won't," Cassana said as the tears started to spill from her face onto Robb's shirt.

"I love you so much, Cassana Baratheon," Robb said. He wrapped a hand around one of her wrists. "I love you, Ashara Stark."

"An—And I you, Robb St—Stark," Cassana responded between shallow breaths.

"You must wed another," Robb said as he looked into her eyes. "You must learn to love again."

"I can't," Cassana expressed between soft sobs. "I will never—I will _never_ love anyone the way I loved you."

"I pray to the Seven and the Old Gods that you do," Robb responded quietly. Cassana squeezed her eyes shut when he lifted his hand to his face, brushing away a stream of tears. He could see the pain in her face, but he always thought her beautiful.

"Robb?" Cassana whispered when his hand dropped from her face and his eyelids started to droop slowly. "No, Robb."

When his eyes shut for the last time, Cassana let out a sob that shook her entire body. She curled her fingers into his shirt and lay across his chest while she cried uncontrollably and murmured his name under her breath repeatedly.

She had yet to separate herself from his body when the maester came. When the guards tried to get her to let the maester examine the body, she refused to let go of Robb. She stayed curled up by his side, crying, until Davos, Willem, and Aegon came in.

"Prince Aegon, Ser Davos, Ser Willem," one of the guards greeted them. "We—"

Aegon held up a hand, stopping the man from trying to explain what was happening. They already knew. But Davos and Willem had no idea what to say to her to make her feel like she could let him go.

Aegon stepped forward and kneeled across from Cassana. "Cass…"

"He's gone," she murmured.

"I know," Aegon told her as he looked at Robb Stark's face. "I know."

"He's gone," Cassana sniffled. It was as if it was the only thing she could say. "He's gone."

"He's not here anymore, in his body, but a part of him will live on in your heart and in the child you are carrying," Aegon said comfortingly.

"That's not enough," Cassana whispered. She turned her head and looked up at Aegon. He felt a pang in his chest when he saw the tears on her cheeks and in her eyes. "I want him here. I need him here."

"I know, but… he's gone," Aegon said, shrugging weakly.

Cassana clenched her jaw as she looked back at her husband's face. "I know I need to let go… but I—I can't. I can't let go of him."

"Here," Aegon said as he put out one of his hands. Cassana turned her head to look at it. "Take my hand. Just take my hand, okay?"

Cassana clenched her jaw as she stared at it for a few moments. Eventually, she lifted one hand and placed it on Aegon's.

"That's good," Aegon stated quietly. He wrapped his fingers around her palm so he had a better hold on her hand. Then he offered his other hand. "Can you take this one too?"

Cassana shook her head and tightened her hold on Robb's shirt. "No. I can't let go of him. I won't."

"It's just a hand, Cassana," Aegon urged.

"I can't," Cassana wept.

"Do you trust me?" Aegon questioned as he looked down at her. She nodded immediately. "Then trust me when I say that I'm sorry."

He moved quickly, forcing open her hand that was still clutching Robb's shirt. He held onto her hands as she struggled against him and stepped over Robb's body. Aegon wrapped one hand under her knees and the other around the middle of her back and scooped her up in his arms swiftly. Cassana struggled against him for a moment longer before she started to cry. He held her closer when she buried her head into the nook of his neck and continued to weep quietly. Davos and Willem led the way back to her room and helped Aegon put her to bed.

The three men kept watch over her until she stopped crying.

When the maester came, she sat up in the bed. Her eyes were still red and puffy and her cheeks were tear-stained from all the crying. She looked almost ghostly as she listened to what Maester Vyman had to say.

He ended his diagnosis with, "I'm sorry to say Your Grace, but your husband, our king, was murdered with the poison Essence of Nightshade."

Cassana thanked him for his service and dismissed him quietly. She looked at Aegon, Davos, and Willem.

"I need you to do whatever it takes to find the murderer and when you do I need you to bring them straight to me," Cassana commanded.

"May I ask what you intend to do with them if we do find them?" Willem asked from his spot beside Davos.

"I intend to deliver justice," Cassana answered darkly.

 **A/N: I apologize for any mistakes! I wanted to get this up in a week. Please give me some feedback on this chapter in a review or PM. And favorite or follow this story if you haven't already.**

 **Question:** Who do you think murdered Robb?

 **Thank you for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or books.

 **After**

The entire castle was in mourning.

Except for Cassana. She was focusing on revenge. She was using every resource to find her husband's murderer. But when Aegon went to tell his parents about Robb, he knew who ha killed him. Some things were missing from the room and after an intense search he found a single bottle that smelled of the Essence of Nightshade.

He went straight back to his bedchamber. He knew that if he revealed the truth to Cassana, it would bring the death of his parents. He didn't want them to die, but they had been foolish enough to kill Robb Stark. And if Cassana put it together before Aegon told her, then it could mean the end of their alliance and their friendship.

So, he went to her.

She was in bed, but awake. Her eyes were tired and he could see she was still struggling with the loss of her husband. At the table by the door sat Sansa and Arya Stark. From what Aegon knew, the young Stark girls had been told about their brother shortly after he died. They remained with Cassana since then.

They had also been told about Cassana's true name and parentage. Aegon could see that the girls loved her all the same.

"Queen Cassana, Princess Sansa and Arya," Aegon greeted.

"Ashara," Arya corrected. "Her name is Ashara."

"I can't start using that name until everyone knows the truth, Arya," Cassana said gently.

"I know the truth, though," Aegon said, winking at Arya. He looked at Cassana after the young girl smiled. "I will begin calling you Ashara when I can, if that is what you wish."

"I want to honor my birth mother," Cassana said as she nodded. "Thank you."

"What brings you here?" Sansa asked warily.

"I need to speak to Ashara alone," Aegon answered with respect to the younger girls.

"Anything you need to say to me, you can say to Sansa and Arya," Cassana told him.

Aegon knew she wouldn't want to send the girls—her cousins—away, but he did not think it would be right to speak of their brother's death in front of them. They were too young to have to worry about hunting down their brother's killer. Even Cassana was too young to have that weight on her shoulders, but she would never give up searching. Not until she found the truth.

"I really believe we should talk in private," Aegon expressed.

Cassana narrowed her eyes. She seemed to read Aegon's mind because she turned to her cousins and asked, "Why don't you take Grey Wind for a walk for me?"

"I don't—" Arya began.

"Arya," Sansa quieted her and stood from her seat. She nodded in Aegon's direction and said, "Prince Aegon."

Arya followed her quietly out of the room. Grey Wind walked followed on their heels after Cassana urged him to. The direwolf obeyed without hesitation. Aegon waited until the door closed after them to begin.

"I think I know who killed your husband," Aegon began. When Cassana sat up in her bed he added, "It might have been my parents. I found an empty bottle that smelled of the Essence of Nightshade and some of their things were missing. They must have escaped the castle with the peasants that were leaving last night."

"Where would they have gone?" Cassana asked with anger in her eyes. Aegon wished that his parents hadn't been so stupid.

"East," Aegon answered, half assured. "The Stormlands maybe or they will try to go to Essos—Bravos most likely."

"Guards!" Cassana shouted. The four men in Tully armor rushed into the room. Davos and Willem entered as well. "Send word that I am holding my war council as soon as everyone can assemble."

The guards scattered to obey Cassana's command, but Davos and Willem shared a look.

"Are you sure you want to do that now? After everything that happened?" Davos asked.

"Aegon has revealed who might have killed my husband," Cassana told them. She continued before they could interject. "It was his parents. At least, that's what we believe. I want to hold this war council to assemble a force to go after them. I also want to reveal my true heritage and name. Lastly, I want to make final plans to take the Reach and then King's Landing."

"I'm only going to ask this once," Davos paused, "are you certain you want to do this?"

"Yes," Cassana said without any doubt in her expression. "I want to find to find my husband's killer. I want to tell my people who I am, and I want to take the Seven Kingdoms in the memory of those I have lost."

Aegon waited until everyone had left the room to speak to Cassana again.

"How are you feeling?" He asked even though he knew it was a stupid question.

Cassana looked at him and he could see the pain in her eyes. She pulled back her blankets and dropped her legs over the side of the bed. The young queen took a deep breath before standing up. She walked halfway over to Aegon and met his gaze.

"I thought I could get through this rough patch and pick myself up afterwards like I always do, but then I realized it's only going to get worse."

"You don't know that," Aegon told her.

"Yeah, I do," Cassana responded tiredly. "And I can't do worse."

"Robb wouldn't have wanted you to—"

"You don't know what Robb would have wanted. You never knew him," Cassana retorted. " _I_ knew him. I _loved_ him and now he's gone and all that's left is pain." She paused as she dropped her gaze to the floor. Her eyes began to burn with tears, but she looked back up at Aegon anyways. "I just want the pain to be gone.

She sobbed softly as she held Aegon's gaze. "My husband is dead, Aegon. It hurts so badly that I can't breathe. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't do anything but feel the pain of his death. I can't do worse, and I shouldn't have to. He should be here with me. He should be here."

Aegon didn't bother telling her that it was going to be okay. Instead, he took hold of her and held her until she finished crying.

* * *

The hall was occupied with some of Cassana's best commanders and knights. The different sigils represented different houses from the silver trout of House Tully to the direwolf of House Stark to the stag of House Baratheon. They were all in assembly for Cassana. When she came into the large room, she took her seat at the end of the hall before her men and it became eerily quiet.

"First off, I want to thank you all for being here," Cassana began. She continued after a moment. "I called you all here today to reveal some things and to arrange others."

The men exchanged looks.

"Very recently, I learned that my birth parents were not Orion Baratheon and Raelinn Dondarrion," Cassana announced. She waited for the whispers to die down to continue. "I discovered that Brandon Stark and Ashara Dayne had wed shortly before Brandon died and Ashara ended up giving birth to twins nine months later. I am one of those twins. I do know the identity of the other twin, but I wish to tell the person before I reveal it to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms." She called attention back to herself when her men started talking amongst themselves. "I know what this means! I do not have a birthright to the Iron Throne, but I still have the same goal of retaking this kingdom from the Lannisters. I know that the Baratheon army owes me no allegiance, but if they would have me as their queen, I swear I will find a noble and righteous person to rule over the Stormlands. But that can only happen after we take the Seven Kingdoms from the Lannisters and the Tyrells.

"I know that those who have served the Baratheons will not wish to ally with the Lannisters, but I understand if you all wish to sever ties with this army and fight against us for the throne. Just know that we would not take this severance lightly. We'll fight against you just like we will fight against the Lannisters," Cassana said loudly enough to reach the back of the hall. "My heritage does make me an heir to House Stark and House Dayne while my younger cousin, Princess Sansa, is the heir to House Tully. All of us will continue to fight side by side against the Lannisters and Tyrells. Now, will House Baratheon fight with us or against us?"

The hall remained quiet for a few minutes as the commanders of House Baratheon debated the choices. Eventually, one by one they began to shout out, "With."

Cassana accepted their answer with a curt nod and a loud, "I thank you."

"Next, I wish to announce that I have received enough evidence to assume that the people who murdered my husband were my adoptive parents, Orion Baratheon and Raelinn Dondarrion," she announced.

"How do you know that?!" One of the men dressed in Baratheon armor asked.

"After my husband was murder, Aegon Targaryen paid a visit to their bedchamber. In there he found that they had fled and after an intense search he located a bottle that smelled of the Essence of Nightshade," Cassana said. She paused to allow her words to settle in the room. "I know this does not mean that they are guilty, but it does put them under suspicion. Especially because they have fled after specifically being asked to remain in the castle since they are also being charged with the murder of Shireen Baratheon."

"Why didn't you arrest them?"

"Why did you let them go?"

"Quiet!" Cassana shouted. When the room stilled, she added angrily. "Do you not think that I know I should have had them arrested? Do you believe that I don't regret not taking the correct action? I do! Because if I had done the right thing my husband might still be alive! He might have lived if I had the courage to arrest the people who gave me the name Cassana Baratheon!

"I know what I've done, but we can still find them and arrest them for the crimes they have committed. I wish to assemble a force to go after Orion and Raelinn. They are to find them and arrest them. Nothing more!" Cassana commanded.

"We will do as you bid, Your Grace," one of the men said and others agreed heartily.

"The last thing I wish to discuss is our plans in this war," Cassana continued after accepting her men's answer. "I want to take the Reach before taking Kings Landing, but we have the numbers on our side. Dorne has chosen to ally with us, which gives us the upper hand in this fight. I order our men to begin their march on the Reach. Dorne will attack from the other side and we will take Highgarden and Oldtown. And then we will move on to King's Landing."

"Queen Ashara! Queen Ashara! Queen Ashara!" The men began to shout until it became a continuous chant.

Aegon turned his eyes to Cas—Ashara and smiled lightly when he saw her looking as queenly as ever, sitting on her stone throne surrounded by men who would die to keep her safe. He knew that soon enough she'd be sitting on the real Iron Throne. The only question was if he'd be by her side when she did.

 **A/N:** I just wanted to say that I did not make the decision to kill Robb easily. I loved his character on the show and I did plan to make him live longer, but in order to develop Cassana/Ashara's character the way I wanted, I needed her to suffer a deep loss. I did not appreciate all the offensive reviews regarding the last chapter. If you do not like where this story is going, then stop reading it. I never once said that this story was the best OC story out there or that everyone was bound to like it, but this is my story. I am going to write what I want and I love that there are people out there that are enjoying it. So, thank you to all the readers that have stuck with me from the beginning. This story is still going because of you. Thank you for reading and I hope to have the next chapter up soon!


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